New developments in pharmacoangiography (and arterial pharmacotherapy) of the gastrointestinal tract

The authors present their experience with the use of vasoconstrictor and vasodilator agents in visceral angiography, as well as their criteria for case selection. The pertinent radiologic literature over the past several years is also reviewed. Preliminary experimental and clinical studies with two new agents for effecting visceral vasodilatation, isoproterenol and Renografin-76%, are also detailed. Both agents are potent vasodilators, and the clinical safety and utility of a priming dose of Renografin-76% as a vasodilator in visceral angiography is stressed. Finally, the potential use of a vasoconstrictor drug or drug combination to control arterial gastrointestinal bleeding, by selective arterial infusion following a diagnostic angiogram, is illustrated.