A quick question to all regarding the angiogram...are we talking about a CT Angiogram (where the inject the tracer die into the arm and run a CT Scan), or are we talking about a Cerebral Angiogram (where they use the catheder/injection in to the various arteries in the neck via the femeral artery in the leg).

Does MM show up in the CT angio or just in the Cerebral Angio?

Thank you in advance....just a little newbie confusion.

Greg

PS...we never made it to Niagara Falls, as we stoped to visit my best friend from college...went out to dinner and kindly got food poisoning.

Hi Greg, don't know too many facts about this myself, but when I was diagnosed, they did a CT scan (not CT angio), which showed up damage, but then they did an MRI which confirmed strokes, and then finally I had an angiogram which confirmed MM. I would imagine in all normal circumstances they would be referring to the Angiogram through the femoral artery, cause I have only ever had those types. Don't know if this helps at all - hope it does, but there are bound to be more clued up people out there who may know a little more than I do
Moira

Greg -

A cerebral angiogram is the best test for moyamoya.   An MR Angiogram is the next best, from what I've read.

I've actually never heard of a CT angiogram... I wouldn't think a CT could show much detail of the arteries??   But I am not an expert!

Jenny

Hi Greg

I've always had the regular cerebral angios but my surgeon at University of Chicago told me that my follow-up angio this August will be a CT angio.  I must say that I am extremely excited about this! [smiley=sayyes.gif].  No pain, no laying there for a couple of hours, no having someone drive me, not such a risky procedure etc.  I was assured (and believe me I asked about 30 times  ;)) that the CT angio was just as good as the regular angio, showing all they need to see.  I'm thinking, but don't quote me on this, that this is something fairly new otherwise I would think the surgeon would have offered me this sooner as I've had 3 "regular" angios already.

I'm so sorry to hear that the Niagra Falls weekend was a bust.   :( Maybe another time?  Hope you're feeling better.

Hang in there!
Lisa

Greg:

I've had both CT and Cerebral and I believe the cerebral is the one that is definitive.  I only learned the difference recently.  I think Lisa is correct that the CT Angio is fairly new.  I had it done in Phoenix after I had my 'TIA' on the plane.  The neuro there used it first but wanted to confirm with an MRI (he didn't seem too confident in the CT Angio alone).  (Of course, given that we were pretty sure they weren't gonna find anything else that we didn't already know, we declined as I wanted to go home!).  

Anyway, hope this helps.

Trina

I just wanted to confirm that we are all talking about the same thing...a CT Angiogram is a general CT scan where the inject a "contrast die" into your arm...where the contrast die is usually a water soluable iodine....just checking.

Thanks,
Greg

Greg:

Yes, you are correct.  That is how I had my CT angiogram done (shouldn't be painful, although I had a bad IV so when they shot the die, it really stung!).  

Trina

I had the CT angio with the dye after my surgeries and when I got back home from Stanford.  This was in December after I had my stroke.  I was taken to Charlottesville Hospital and that is where they ran one.  I had never had one before.  IMO, I don't think the CT angio is as thorough as the cerebral angiogram.  I think they are able to gain more information from the cerebral angio.  Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.  

Michelle

Hi Greg,

I've had a couple of CT Angiograms where they inject a dye via an IV and then take CT pictures.  I've also had one Cerebral Angiogram (aka: arteriogram) where they insert a catheter in your growing area and make their way up towards your brain area.  They then inject a dye and take pictures of your brain area.  I have to admit that the cerebral angiogram hurt.  I wasn't under anesthesia because they said they wanted to communicate with me throughout the procedure.  I didn't want to do the cerebral angiogram because I was told that the risk was 1 in 1,000 that something could go wrong, and thinking that if only 1 in 2 million have moyamoya, and I had it, my odds weren't in my favor.  However, they told me that it was necessary in order to do my double bypass surgery.  

I also recently had a CT angiogram (yesterday to be exact), and it showed blood still in the area where the by double bypass took place.  I am now about 3 weeks post-op.  I'm still a little nervous because my head is still swolen, I can't stick my tongue out all the way, my right eyebrow can't raise up or down, and most importantly, my right arm and leg is weaker than my left.  My dr. also said that I've had at least one stroke on my LEFT side!!!  (My double bypass was on my right side!)  

I have to keep FAITH that everything will work out...but for now it's just |A LOT of blood tests, CTAs, and next week I have an EEG....

Take care Greg!  This site is amazing!

God Bless,
SFH

oops!  I made a typo.  It is my left arm/leg that is weaker..not my right as I previously wrote.

SFH

I have had both a CT Angio and a cerebral angio. A cerebral angio from what i was toldby my surgeon is if you are in consideration for surgery most of the time. I had my angio done because MRI were reveiling something but the only real thing for me to get done to prove 100% what i had was a cerebral angio. To lower the risk of people having strokes now a day the most common thing done is a CT Angio as a cerebral angio has a risk factor of having a stroke. Hope that helps any