Catheter Guide

One of the most common reasons for an angiogram is to find out if there is a blockage of an artery that is causing your symptoms. For example, a blocked artery in the leg may cause pain in your leg when you walk, blocked kidney arteries may cause high blood pressure, blocked arteries to the brain may cause vision problems and weakness. An angiogram can determine exactly where the artery is blocked, how severe the blockage is, and what is causing the blockage. The two most common causes of blood arteries are a blood clot in the artery and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Another common reason for an angiogram is to see if you have an aneurysm. An aneurysm is an area of an artery that has ballooned out. Although other medical tests, such as physical examination, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance (MR) can detect an aneurysm, an angiogram may be necessary to see it in detail and to plan treatment.