Pulmonary arteriography through patent ductus arteriosus with preformed catheters.

Selective pulmonary arteriography was performed successfully with new preformed catheters in eight consecutive patients with pulmonary atresia or severe stenosis and patent ductus arteriosus. The catheters were inserted percutaneously into the femoral artery and passed into the patent ductus arteriosus very easily within a few minutes. Pulmonary arteriography was performed with biplane cineangiography. All eight patients showed either stenosis or secondary atresia in the central pulmonary artery. The obstructive lesions occurred at the junction of either a patent ductus arteriosus or a surgically anastomosed subclavian artery.