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Jun 8

CT Angiography - What Should the Rest of Us Know?

Haemin Go posted on 6/8/2021

Moderator: William A. Knight IV, MD, FACEP, FNCS
Other Participants: Achala Vagal, MD, MS

Neuroradiologist Achala Vagal, MD, discusses the fundamentals of CT Angiography for non-radiologists in podcast recorded with Dr. William Knight. Dr. Vagal decribes her techniques and approach to efficiently reviewing and interpreting a CT Angiogram of the head and neck in suspected stroke patients. Drs. Vagal and Knight review the checklist approach to minimize errors of omission, MIPS, and the challenges of difficult lesions such as M2 occlusions. They agree on optimal communication with the consulting radiologist, and discuss the benefits and pitfalls of artifical intelligence radiology software.

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2 comments on article "CT Angiography - What Should the Rest of Us Know?"

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Mohammad Kassem

I'd love to hear what your personal checklists are that you have found successful when reading a CTA. Thanks!


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William Knight

Great question! Here is Dr. Vagal's approach to having a systematic evaluation of CTAs - particularly for a non-radiologist:

1. Look for the LVO (ICA/M1/basilar).

2. Check the MIPs for smaller vessels such as M2

3. Check the MIPs for collaterals/decreased branching of M2 (as we know M2 occlusions are hard and easy to miss)

4. Check CTA source images for ASPECTS, especially if NCCT is normal.

Hope this helps!

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