Clinical value of angiocardiography.

Filling of the heart chambers and great vessels with contrast substance reveals their anatomical structure, and permits differentiation of vascular from non-vascular mediastinal lesions. The method, contrast substance used, and procedure, have been described. Angiocardiography has revealed that our knowledge of the position of the heart chambers and the border-forming structures of the cardiac silhouette in the normal and abnormal was not in complete accord with text book descriptions. This type of examination allows a demonstration of (1) congenital anomalies, (2) anatomical variations, (3) chamber enlargement, cardiac hypertrophy, or both, (4) constricted and expanded cardio-vascular lesions, and (5) the differentiation of the vascular from the nonvascular mediastinal lesions. The following cases illustrate cardio-vascular lesions: