Pulmonary angiography (or pulmonary arteriography) is a cardiological medical procedure. Pulmonary blood vessels are x-rayed to detect arteriovenous malformations.
Direct angiography is the injection of radiocontrast into the circulation with subsequent fluoroscopy (direct X-ray visualisation) of the lungs. A more common form of direct angiography, is the catheterisation of the right atrium of the heart and injection of radiocontrast into the right heart.
A popular form of pulmonary angiography is computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). This involves venous contrast only.
Invasive pulmonary angiography was first performed in 1931 by Egas Moniz and colleagues.[1] Robb and Steinberg described pulmonary angiography by infusion of peripheral radiocontrast.[2][3]