[Efficiency of tetracaine in digital angiography of the blood vessels of the neck]. / Efficacia della tetracaina nell'angiografia digitale dei vasi del collo.

ABSTRACT

Deglutition artifacts often degrade diagnostic quality in digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of neck vessels. In order to reduce this drawback, the authors gave a local anesthetic (Tetracaine) to the patients undergoing DSA of aortic arch and carotid arteries. Hundred-twenty-three subjects divided into two groups were examined Tetracaine was administered to one group (64 patients) and not to the other (59 cases). In the first group deglutition artifacts were not noted in 59/64 cases. Among those patients not treated with Tetracaine/deglutition artifacts were absent in 45/59 cases. This local anesthetic did not produce important toxic reactions. Therefore the authors believe that administration of local anesthetics can reduce deglutition artifacts in DSA of neck vessels.