Discussion on coronary angiographic views.
Coronary angiography is done in multiple projections or views to get a three-dimensional idea of the coronary lesions. Some regions of the coronary arteries may appear foreshortened in certain views so that true length of the lesion may not be appreciated.
Actual severity of eccentric stenosis can be ascertained only by multiple orthogonal views. Even though there are several conventional views for coronary angiography, unusual angulations may be needed in an individual case to guide coronary interventions. Often a test shot is given before the actual cine run to see if the branches are overlapping or not.
Common projections used in coronary angiography are left anterior oblique (LAO), right anterior oblique (RAO), postero-anterior (PA or AP), and lateral views. In addition to these, varying degrees of cranial or caudal angulations can be added to these views. In general, proximal parts of the major vessels are best seen in caudal projections.