[Digital subtraction angiography in pediatrics].

In spite of the prominent position reached by echocardiography in the anatomical and functional diagnosis of congenital heart disease, angiography remains the reference method for preoperative assessment of most cardiovascular malformations. Digitalization of angiographic images, recently applied to cardiology, is of particular interest in paediatrics: the versatility of the method, the smaller amount and dilution of the contrast medium, the diminution of catheter size and the shorter exposure to X-rays are factors that reduce the risk of this invasive investigation. The experience acquired by the exploration of 500 congenital heart disease shows that there is no technical obstacle to using this method in paediatric cardiology, especially since the images obtained clearly are of better quality.