Angiotomography: what it is, what it is for and how to prepare

Angiotomography is a rapid diagnostic test that allows the perfect visualization of fat or calcium plaques inside the veins and arteries of the body, using modern 3D equipment, very useful in coronary and cerebral disease, but which can also be requested to evaluate vessels blood in other parts of the body.

The doctor who usually orders this test is the cardiologist to assess the impairment of the heart's blood vessels, especially if there are other abnormal tests such as stress testing or scintigraphy, or for an assessment of chest pain, for example.

What is it for

Angiotomography serves to clearly observe the internal and external parts, diameter and involvement of blood vessels, clearly showing the presence of calcium plaques or fat plaques in the coronary arteries, and also serves to clearly visualize cerebral blood flow, or in any other area of ​​the body, such as the lungs or kidneys, for example.

This test can detect even the smallest coronary calcifications resulting from the accumulation of fatty plaques inside the arteries, which may not have been identified in other imaging tests.

When can be indicated

The following table indicates some possible indications for each type of this exam:

Exam type	Some indications
Coronary angiotomography	in case of symptoms of heart disease individuals with installed heart disease suspected coronary calcification verify stent effectiveness after angioplasty in case of Kawasaki disease
Cerebral arterial angiotomography	evaluation of obstruction of cerebral arteries research of cerebral aneurysm evaluation of vascular malformations.
Cerebral venous angiotomography	evaluation of obstruction of cerebral veins due to extrinsic causes, thrombosesevaluation of vascular malformations
Pulmonary vein angiotomography	pre-ablation of atrial fibrillation post-ablation of atrial fibrillation
Angiotomography of the abdominal aorta	evaluation of vascular diseases or after placing a prosthesis
Angiotomography of the thoracic aorta	vascular diseasespreval and post-placement of prostheses
Angiotomography of the Abdomen	for the evaluation of vascular diseases

How the exam is done

In order to perform this exam, a contrast is injected into the vessel to be visualized, and then the person must enter a tomography device, which uses radiation to generate images that are seen on the computer. Thus, the doctor can assess how the blood vessels are, whether they have calcified plaques or if the blood flow is compromised somewhere.

Necessary preparation

Angiotomography takes an average of 10 minutes, and 4 hours before it is performed, the individual should not eat or drink anything.

Medicines for daily use can be taken at the usual time with little water. It is recommended not to take anything that contains caffeine and no erectile dysfunction medication for up to 48 hours before the test.

Minutes before the angiotomography, some people may need to take a medication to decrease heart rate and another to dilate blood vessels, in order to improve their visualization of cardiac images.