How many projections are really needed in angiographic assessment of the femoral bifurcation?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze how many angiographic projections are needed in the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant stenoses of the femoral bifurcation. A total of 134 femoral bifurcations were examined with triplanar angiography in 67 patients (45 men and 22 women). The patients, ranging in age from 42 to 81 years (mean 63), suffered from incapacitating symptoms of peripheral arterial disease. The contralateral posterior oblique projection proved to be the most valuable in the assessment of hemodynamically significant arterial stenoses of the femoral bifurcation. An AP projection added information on stenoses of the inlets of the deep femoral artery in 9% of cases and on stenoses of the inlets of the superficial femoral artery in 6% of cases. An arteriographic examination should be started with a contralateral posterior oblique projection and this view will suffice in most cases.