[Selective thyroid angiography: techniques, diagnosis and indications].

In the clinical research on angiographic diagnosis of thyroid tumor over twenty years, techniques, diagnostic points and limitations in angiogram were studied, and its indications and significance were reviewed. 1) As about 80% of the feeding artery for thyroid tumor was the superior thyroid artery, superior and inferior thyroid angiography via the femoral artery can be a basic method for angiographic diagnosis. 2) The success rate of insertion into superior and inferior thyroid artery depended on age, vascular anatomy, the shape of catheter, technique and procedure. The success rate was improved from 57.3% to 86.9% by reconsideration and devices. 3) The diagnostic points in thyroid angiographic findings are the morphological character of tumor vessel, the margin of tumor stain and the condition of its density. By checking these three points, the correct diagnostic rate of 94.7% was obtained in the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign. 4) Microangiogram and pathological findings of resected specimen were compared. The results suggest that the variety of width and distribution of vascular space in tumor and secondary degeneration prevent accurate diagnosis. 5) Today, noninvasive diagnostic methods for thyroid tumor have been advanced, therefore eight new indications of selective thyroid angiography for extraglandal change are proposed.