Anatomical Predictors of Left Internal Carotid Artery Catheterization in Transradial Angiography

IntroductionTransradial angiography (TRA) has received considerable attention in the field of neurointervention owing to its advantages over transfemoral approaches. However, the difficulty of left internal carotid artery (ICA) catheterization under certain anatomical conditions of the aortic arch and its branches is a limitation of TRA. This study aimed to investigate the anatomical predictors of successful catheterization of the left ICA in TRA. Materials and MethodsFrom January 2020 to October 2020, 640 patients underwent TRA at a single institute. Among them, 263 consecutive patients who were evaluated by contrast-enhanced MRI before TRA were included in our study and assigned to success and failure groups, according to whether left ICA catheterization was possible or not. Anatomical predictors that may affect the success of left ICA catheterization in TRA were investigated for the purposes of our study. ResultsThe multivariable analysis included variables that demonstrated significant univariate associations with ICA catherization (P<0.0001). Variables included in the model were the type of aortic arch, height of right subclavian artery, turn-off angle of the left common carotid artery (CCA), distance between innominate artery to the left CCA, angulation of right subclavian artery, and angulation of the left CCA, which we identified as significant predictors of left ICA catheterization. ConclusionSuccess of left ICA catheterization in TRA was related to the vascular geometry of the aortic arch and its branches. Evaluating the anatomical predictors identified in this study using pre-procedure imaging may enhance the success rate of left ICA catheterization in TRA.