Angiography is a comprehensive diagnostic procedure to visualize the blood vessels while an angiogram refers to the specific images generated after the angiography. Although both the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in medical context, they represent different aspects and understanding their differences is important.
Let us keep reading to explore the differences between angiography and angiogram!
What is Angiography?
Angiography is a diagnostic procedure that helps in checking for blockage in the blood vessels. It may take 30 minutes or more to do this procedure depending on the complexity involved.
It is usually minimally invasive and is performed as an outpatient procedure. It is often the first-line diagnostic test to detect the conditions affecting the blood vessels and may be followed by angioplasty.
Why Do I Need Angiography?
Angiography is done to diagnose different conditions including
- Heart attack or myocardial infarction where there are blockages in the coronary arteries.
- Angina or chest pain that occurs when the blood flow to the heart decreases.
- Pulmonary embolism where the arteries to the lungs are blocked.
- Peripheral arterial disease where the blood supply to the leg muscles decrease.
- Brain aneurysm where there is a bulge in the brain’s blood vessels.
How Is It Performed?
- Your doctor may administer sedatives to keep you relaxed. Local anaesthesia is given to numb the area of incision.
- The doctor makes a small incision over one of arteries near wrist or groin under local anesthesia.
- A catheter is inserted into your artery and guided it to the area of the problem.
- A contrast medium is injected into the catheter to highlight the blood vessels.
- A series of X-rays are taken to visualize the blood flow.
Types
The different types of angiography are
- Coronary angiography: helps to check blood vessels of the heart
- Cerebral angiography: helps to check blood vessels in and around the brain
- Pulmonary angiography: helps to check the blood vessels supplying the lungs
- Renal angiography: helps to check the blood vessels supplying the kidneys
- CT angiography: uses CT instead of traditional X-rays
What Is an Angiogram?
An angiogram is the image obtained after completing the angiography procedure. It gives a detailed picture of arteries and shows the condition of the arteries if there is any blockage in the blood vessels.
It helps in diagnosing different conditions that may affect the blood flow to the arteries.
Types
The different types of angiogram are
- Coronary angiogram: Image showing the heart and blood vessels to the heart
- Pulmonary angiogram: Image showing the blood vessels of the lungs
- Cerebral angiogram: Image showing the blood vessels inside and surrounding the brain
- Renal angiogram: Image showing the blood vessels of the kidneys
Differences between Angiogram and Angiography
Here’s the table comparing the differences between angiogram and angiography:
| Angiogram | Angiography |
| Image or series of images produced after angiography | Medical procedure to view blood vessels |
| Results of angiography | Diagnostic imaging procedure |
| Visualizes the blood vessels after contrast injection | Injects the contrast dye and captures images |
| Types include coronary angiogram, cerebral angiogram, pulmonary angiogram, and renal angiogram | Types include coronary angiography, cerebral angiography, pulmonary angiography, and renal angiography |
Table: Comparison between angiogram and angiography
Conclusion
Angiography is the entire imaging process whereas an angiogram is the image obtained after the process. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for both patients and healthcare professionals.
For heart-related issues, you may book an appointment with Dr. Nikhil P.J. Theckumparmapil. He is a leading cardiac specialist of Heart360 Care committed to deliver world class cardiac care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Angioplasty is a procedure done to widen the narrowed artery using a small balloon inserted via a catheter. It usually takes 1-2 hours. Angiography on the other hand, is a diagnostic procedure to view the blood flow in the arteries to detect narrowing or blockages. A doctor may perform angioplasty following an angiogram if a blockage is found.
Both angiogram and arteriogram are the same. Angiogram is also known as arteriogram. It is an image obtained after an angiography procedure and is used to detect the blockages of the vessels in the different organs, including heart, brain, kidneys, and other parts of the body.
No angiogram and stent are not same and serve different purposes. Angiogram is an image of a diagnostic procedure that uses contrast dye and X rays to visualize the blood vessels and detect blockages. Stent is a small, mesh tube that is implanted in the narrowed artery to keep it open and maintain blood flow. It is usually performed if an angiogram reveals a blockage.
Yes, angiogram and angioplasty can be done at the same time. It is called percutaneous coronary intervention. During angiography, a contrast dye is injected and X ray images are taken to visualize the blood vessels and identify the blockages. If a blockage is found, a balloon catheter may be inserted and inflated to open the narrowed artery.
