Angiography vs Angiogram: Terminology Clarification
"Angiography" refers to the diagnostic procedure or imaging technique itself, while "angiogram" refers to the actual images or pictures produced by that procedure.
Key Distinctions
Angiography (The Procedure)
- Angiography is the invasive or noninvasive imaging procedure used to visualize blood vessels and diagnose vascular disease 1
- Coronary angiography is considered the "gold standard" procedure for diagnosing coronary artery disease, despite inherent limitations 1
- The procedure can be performed via catheter-based (invasive) or noninvasive methods (CT angiography, MR angiography) 1
- Catheter-based angiography carries a 1.5% incidence of procedural complications including death, stroke, myocardial infarction, bleeding, and contrast-induced nephropathy 1
Angiogram (The Images)
- An angiogram is the resulting image or set of images produced during angiography 1
- Visual assessment of coronary angiograms (the images) shows significant interobserver variability, with disease severity often overestimated when stenosis is ≥50% 1
- Angiograms provide anatomic information about vessel location, length, diameter, contour, and severity of luminal obstruction 2
Clinical Context
When the Terms Are Used Interchangeably
In clinical practice, these terms are often used somewhat interchangeably, though technically distinct:
- "The patient needs an angiography" = the patient needs the procedure performed 1
- "The angiogram shows 70% stenosis" = the images demonstrate significant narrowing 1
Practical Application
- Order/perform angiography (the procedure) to obtain angiograms (the images) for diagnosis 1
- Catheter-based angiography remains the reference standard for depicting coronary anatomy, though noninvasive alternatives (CT angiography, MR angiography) are increasingly preferred for initial evaluation 1, 2
- For peripheral vascular disease, noninvasive imaging modalities are favored over catheter-based angiography due to lower complication rates 1
Important Caveats
Terminology in Different Vascular Territories
- Coronary angiography/angiogram: refers to imaging of heart vessels 1
- Carotid angiography/angiogram: refers to imaging of neck vessels 1
- Peripheral angiography/angiogram: refers to imaging of limb vessels 1
Modern Usage Evolution
The distinction has become less rigid in contemporary practice, with "angiography" sometimes referring to both the procedure and its results, particularly when discussing CT angiography or MR angiography where the procedural and imaging components are inseparable 1, 2