Angiography of the Axial Skeleton

Abstract

Angiography of the spine has a small but often critical place in the evaluation of some spinal lesions. Clinical angiography of the axial spine can be divided into two different types: arteriography of the spinal cord and venography of the epidural venous plexus. Arteriography is generally used to evaluate the small, select group of patients with known or suspected arteriovenous malformations of the spine, spinal cord or supporting tissues, and is occasionally used to investigate a highly vascular spinal tumour. Epidural venography has been used predominantly as a secondary, or less commonly as a primary, examination for lumbar disc Protrusion, although lately it has been replaced in this role by the less invasive techniques of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Because the clinical problems and clinical roles of angiography and venography are quite different, these examinations will be discussed separately. The clinical indicaions, vascular anatomy and pathophysiology, as well as the technique, need to be fully understood for proper utilization of these examinations in clinical practice.