Iatrogenic femoral arteriovenous fistulae: evaluation by digital vascular imaging.

Intravenous digital vascular imaging was used to evaluate eight patients with suspected iatrogenic femoral arteriovenous fistulae. These followed either cardiac catheterization (seven) or pulmonary angiography (one). All cardiac catheterization patients had undergone simultaneous ipsilateral femoral artery and vein puncture, possibly contributing to the high incidence of arteriovenous fistulae in this group. Digital imaging studies in two patients were normal, confirmed by clinical follow-up without surgery. In six patients, digital vascular imaging correctly predicted the presence and relative size of the fistulae, as confirmed at surgery. Although the exact site could not be specified, it was correctly identified to within 4 cm. None of these patients required arteriography for further study of the lesion before surgical repair.