A cerebral angiogram is a minimally invasive investigation that examines the blood vessels in the brain. It is the gold standard for detecting and characterising cerebral aneurysms, arterial narrowing and cerebral vascular malformations.
A tiny catheter is inserted through a small incision in the groin or wrist. Using the plumbing of the arteries and under image guidance, the catheter is advanced to the area being examined within the brain. A contrast dye is injected through the catheter and images are taken from various angles. This enables images of the arteries, veins, and blood flow within the brain to be acquired.