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Nowadays, angiography systems with flat digital panel are used in cardiology and invasive radiology as the detector of irradiation. The so called universal systems with a magnified panel are becoming more common. In this study we tried to find out whether in practice the increased surface area of detectors may increase the absorption dose in a patient.The study included 486 patients who underwent coronary angiography carried out by the same physicians. In 268 subjects the procedure was performed in cathlab A equipped with a cardiac angiography system, whereas in 218 subjects in cathlab B using universal angiography system. In the study the absorbed dose of irradiation by the patient was determined and its ratio to body mass, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA) was evaluated.The mean dose absorbed by the person under study did not differ between both catheterization laboratories. Similarly, there were no differences in the ratio of the absorbed dose and BMI. But the comparison of the ratio of the absorbed dose and the body mass showed significantly higher values in cathlab A, where. higher values of the ratio of the absorbed dose and BSA were also found (p0.01).In the present study it was found that the use of universal angiography systems with a larger surface area of the detecting panel is not connected with the increase in the irradiation dose absorbed by the patent during coronary angiography as compared with classical cardiac angiography systems.

Takayasu disease is a syndrome of unknown etiology having an immunological basis and appearing mainly in young women. It leads to characteristic changes in arteries as confirmed by diagnostic imaging methods. The case of a 51-year-old woman with recognized Takayasu's disease and stenocardial complaints arising from atheroma of the coronary arteries is presented. Computed tomography angiography examination showed changes typical for both Takayasu's disease and atherosclerosis. The potential influence of the inflammation appearing in Takayasu's disease on atheroma is discussed. The clinical signs accompanying Takayasu's disease and diagnostic imaging methods for their detection are presented.

We report a case of a 54-year-old woman presenting with nonspecific chest pain and clinical symptoms of heart failure. Various diagnostic tools, including both noninvasive methods and coronary angiography, revealed the presence of a giant aneurysm of the right coronary artery. The aneurysm formed a mediastinal mass of a huge size, with blood flow in it, and caused cardiac displacement within the thorax cavity. Surgical management of this anomaly was effective. Aetiology, clinical symptoms, diagnostic tools and treatment options of coronary artery aneurysms are discussed.

Takayasu arteritis is a rare, inflammatory disease affecting mainly young women and is more prevalent in Asia and Latin America. Its etiology is obscure. It involves the aorta and its main branches. The typical lesions are represented by obliteration and aneurysmatic dilatation of arteries and ostial stenosis. We report a case of a 51-year-old woman with Takayasu arteritis and coronary disease, complaining of angina pectoris CCS class IV. The patient underwent successful angioplasty of LAD. During 6-month follow-up she remained asymptomatic. Various therapeutic options of revascularization are reviewed.

A 47-year-old woman was admitted to hospital for the diagnostic evaluation of round opacity presented on the chest radiogram (Fig. 1, upper part). She complained only of mild weakness. Chest angio-CT scan revealed a fistula originated from the pulmonary artery and drained into the right inferior pulmonary vein (Fig. 1). During heart catheterisation a small flow through the fistula was confirmed without evidence of oxygen saturation differences (Fig. 2). The echocardiographic examination proved to show the correct dimensions of heart cavities. The patient was treated pharmacologically with diuretics. Sixteen months after hospitalisation the patient was doing well and had no cardiac symptoms. European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery 25 (2004) 282 www.elsevier.com/locate/ejcts