What diseases can cerebral angiography detect?

Generally, cerebral angiography can detect diseases such as cerebral artery stenosis, cerebral aneurysm, cerebral vascular malformation, cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, and others. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely treatment at a qualified hospital. Detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Cerebral Artery Stenosis

Cerebral artery stenosis is mostly caused by atherosclerosis, with lipid accumulation on the vessel wall leading to narrowing of the lumen. Cerebral angiography can clearly show the location and severity of the stenosis. When the contrast agent flows through the narrowed area, the image shows a thinner stream, enabling early detection of vascular lesions. This provides evidence for preventing subsequent severe cerebrovascular events and avoids further progression of the condition.

2. Cerebral Aneurysm

A cerebral aneurysm is a sac-like structure formed by abnormal bulging due to localized weakness of the cerebral vascular wall. During cerebral angiography, the contrast agent enters the aneurysm cavity, appearing as abnormal imaging protruding from the vessel wall. Early detection of cerebral aneurysms allows timely intervention to prevent rupture and serious bleeding, thereby reducing mortality and disability risks.

3. Cerebral Vascular Malformation

Cerebral vascular malformation refers to abnormal vascular clusters formed by developmental abnormalities of cerebral vessels, including abnormal arteries, veins, and capillaries. Cerebral angiography can precisely identify the location, size, feeding arteries, and draining veins of the vascular malformation, showing disordered vascular network imaging. This helps formulate accurate treatment plans and reduce damage to surrounding brain tissue.

4. Cerebral Infarction

Cerebral infarction results from blockage of cerebral vessels leading to ischemia, hypoxia, and necrosis of brain tissue. Cerebral angiography can detect the location of the blocked vessel, showing as an area where the contrast agent fails to pass through the occluded segment, with no vascular imaging in that region. It also allows observation of compensatory conditions in surrounding vessels, providing key evidence for assessing disease severity and selecting treatment methods, thus improving patient prognosis.

5. Cerebral Hemorrhage

Cerebral hemorrhage is commonly caused by rupture of cerebral vessels. Although cerebral angiography cannot directly display the hemorrhagic focus, it can identify underlying causes such as vascular malformations and aneurysms. By observing vascular course and morphological abnormalities, it indirectly infers the cause of bleeding, offering significant guidance for subsequent etiological treatment and preventing re-bleeding.

In addition, cerebral angiography may also detect rare cerebrovascular diseases such as moyamoya disease. Vital signs of patients should be monitored before and after the examination to avoid adverse reactions such as contrast agent allergy.