Pulmonary Angiography in Lung Diseases

The early clinical studies with angiocardiography included cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and other chest diseases,¹ but cardiologists have been the major users of contrast visualization of the heart and great vessels—primarily to identify abnormal blood vessels, pathologic intracardiac chamber communications, altered valve function, and obstruction to flow through the coronary arteries. The diagnostic usefulness of pulmonary angiography in disease of the lungs is becoming increasingly important—particularly in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma² or pulmonary embolism.³ Patients with lung tumors that involve major pulmonary vessels have such a poor prognosis following surgical resection that angiographic demonstration of such involvement may well be sufficient to contraindicate surgical therapy.⁴ The use of cardiopulmonary bypass has made it possible to remove embolic obstructions within the pulmonary vascular bed. Angiographic verification of an obstruction is essential prior to such an attempt. The general value, common hazards, and technical principles of pulmonary angiography