Catheter-induced brachial artery dissection during transradial angioplasty.

The transradial approach is becoming a very popular technique in coronary and peripheral interventions because of its low vascular complication rate and improved patient comfort. Reported complications during the transradial approach are radial artery spasm, perforation, occlusion and formation of pseudoaneurysms. The kinking of the diagnostic catheter during catheter manipulation in a severely tortuous subclavian artery can occur very easily, and catheter movements at this point can cause barchial and subclavian artery dissection. We report a case of brachial and subclavian artery dissection during transradial diagnostic angiography, treated by angioplasty and stenting.