Aortography by countercurrent injection via the radial artery in infants with congenital heart disease.

Aortography by countercurrent injection into the radial artery as performed for analysis of aortic arch anomalies in 12 infants with congenital heart disease. Eleven aortograms were obtained without complications, but one failed. Coarctation of the aorta, patent ductus arteriosus, aberrant origin of the right subclavian artery, interrupted aortic arch, anomalous origin of the right pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta, and hypoplastic ascending aorta were demonstrated by this method. Patency of the reconstructed aortic arch was confirmed in the postoperative study of the case of interrupted aortic arch. Aortography by countercurrent injection via the radial artery affords an easy, safe, and simple bedside means for analysis of aortic arch anomalies without retrograde arterial catheterization. The latter is occasionally complicated by thrombosis of the artery in small infants.