RECENT developments in medical diagnostic imaging have concentrated on diminishing patient risk and discomfort, evidenced by the general acceptance of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography for the routine evaluation of patients' conditions. The need for more invasive procedures, such as angiography, has diminished and pneumoencephalography has almost disappeared.1-3 Nonetheless, these new techniques thus far have proved insufficient for accurate imaging of most major vascular diseases. Thus, the diagnosis and planning for treatment of such common disorders as atherosclerosis and vascular dysplasias continue to require arteriography.
To supercede the objectionable qualities of angiography—hospitalization, loss of work days, patient discomfort, risk of morbidity, and high financial cost—the authors have developed during the past five years a photoelectronic radiology system for performing angiography following an intravenous injection of contrast medium. This method of photoelectronic intravenous angiography (PIA) can be performed on outpatients, is low in cost, and provides excellent information concerning the