Complications in digital subtraction angiography: initial three years of experience

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we describe the complications we encountered during digital subtraction angiographies (DSA) in our initial three years of experience and evaluate the risk factors in our patient population. Materials and methods: A series of 507 patients with different pathological processes were diagnosed via DSA in our institution from April 2019 through May 2022 and were retrospectively evaluated. During DSA, the date of the procedure, patient age, gender, comorbidities, catheter types, number of catheters used, and all procedure-related complications were recorded, even if they did not cause any neurological sequelae. Complications were categorized as neurological, non-neurological, or local. Results: Our study included a total of 507 patients. Of these, 256 (50.5%) were male, and 251 (49.5%) were female. The mean age of patients was 49.2 years (range 5-91). The most preexisting comorbidity in patients was hypertension (22.5%). Of 507 patients, a total of 10 patients had either a neurological complication, radiological complication, or angio-site-related complication, and the overall rate of complications was 0.02%. In 6 patients with neurological complications, 3 (0.6%) had permanent neurological deficits, and 3 (0.6%) had transient deficits. In 4 patients with non-neurological complications, asymptomatic vasospasms were encountered in two cases; internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection was experienced in one case, and scrotal hematoma was observed in one case. Conclusion: Complications following DSA are rare but must be minimized with knowledge of the characteristics of the patients and determining the proper indication. Although the risk is low, complications such as thromboembolism can cause permanent neurological deficits and even death. © 2024, Pamukkale University. All rights reserved.