angiography

Sugiuchiくん、医学用語の解説をお願いします。（UG）
Emperor has angiography to check on heart condition
NATIONAL FEB. 11, 2012 - 02:40PM JST ( 8 )TOKYO —
Emperor Akihito underwent an angiography to check on his heart condition on Saturday. The angiogram of his coronary arteries comes after his electrocardiogram showed a restricted blood flow to his heart.

The 78-year-old emperor went through the same test a year ago at the University of Tokyo hospital, which found his arteries were narrowing, leading to his being placed on medication, a palace official said.

Electrocardiography tests have revealed that the emperor suffers from poor blood circulation after physical exercise.

The examination used a contrast medium to determine how much the emperor’s coronary arties have narrowed due to arteriosclerosis. A catheter was inserted into a blood vessel until it reached a coronary artery, allowing doctors to see where the blood vessels have narrowed and by how much.

The emperor will remain in hospital overnight and return to the palace on Sunday.

The Imperial Household Agency will hold a news conference next week to announce the results of the test and outline what new treatment will be necessary.

Japan Today/AFP