The full form of DSA in Medical is Digital Subtraction Angiography. It is a medical method widely used in interventional radiology to locate blood vessels visually. In simple terms, DSA technology provides a visual image of the blood vessels in the human brain to monitor any problems related to blood flow.
The method involves inserting a catheter, a thin, small tube, into an artery in the leg and threading it to blood vessels in the brain. In addition, a contrast dye is passed through the tube, and visual images of the blood vessels are taken.
Your healthcare provider may suggest you undergo DSA if AVM or aneurysm is detected and detailed mapping is required so that accurate treatment can be given. Also, if someone is suffering from a tumor that is not well detected on MRI, your healthcare provider may suggest DSA.
DSA is also helpful in detecting various illnesses and diseases, such as malformation, stenosis, aneurysm, and fistula, in blood vessels of the skin, abdomen, brain, legs, and arms.