CT Angiography of the Upper Extremity

CT angiography (CTA) of upper extremity arteries is usually performed via conventional CTA or digital subtraction CTA. The patients lie supine on the CT examination bed, raising their hands with palms up. Those who cannot lift their hands should put them on the sides of the body naturally to avoid distortion of the upper extremity arteries, especially the subclavian arteries. For digital subtraction CTA, low radiation-dose volumetric non-enhanced CT scanning should be first performed followed by contrast-enhanced CT scanning. Parameters such as the CT scanning range, slice thickness, and pitch can be adjusted appropriately according to the specifications of the CT equipment or clinical indications. In principle, for further CT postprocessing, thin-slice volumetric CT images should be obtained.