US Medical Term · tests
Angiogram
Angiografía
What it means
An angiogram is an x-ray or computer image (CT scan or MRI) of the blood vessels and blood flow in the body. A dye may be injected through a catheter (small tube) into an artery or vein to make the blood vessels easier to see. An angiogram may be used to check for an aneurysm (a bulge in a blood vessel wall), blockages in arteries, blood clots, or other problems, such as a tumor. MedlinePlus has an article titled Arteriogram, about an imaging test that uses x-rays and a special dye to see inside the arteries, and lists angiogram among the alternative names. For that test, a dye (contrast) is injected into an artery and x-rays are taken to see how the dye flows through the bloodstream.
Angiogram in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Angiografía
- Gender and article
- feminine: la angiografía
- Pronunciation
- ahn-hyoh-grah-FEE-ah
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| angiograma | General | The headword the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary uses for the image (un angiograma); MedlinePlus en español lists it among the alternative names of its arteriografía article. |
English has two words, angiogram and angiography, and Spanish sources use two as well. The Real Academia Española dictionary records angiografía as a feminine noun with a medical label and defines it as imagen de los vasos sanguíneos obtenida por cualquier procedimiento. The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters angiograma for the image, and writes it as a masculine noun: un angiograma. MedlinePlus en español titles its encyclopedia article Arteriografía and lists angiograma and angiografía among the alternative names.
The same MedlinePlus en español article names related tests by the part of the body examined, for example angiografía coronaria (heart), angiografía cerebral (brain) and angiografía pulmonar (lungs). Words that article uses next to the term are rayos X, radiografías, catéter, which it describes as a flexible tube, and tinte for the dye, with medio de contraste in parentheses.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Clinician | I am going to order an angiogram to look at your blood vessels. | Voy a pedirle una angiografía para ver sus vasos sanguíneos. |
| Patient | Is an angiogram the same as an x-ray? | ¿Una angiografía es lo mismo que una radiografía? |
| Clinician | It is an imaging test of the blood vessels; a dye makes them easier to see. | Es un examen de imágenes de los vasos sanguíneos; un tinte permite verlos con más claridad. |
| Clinician | Have you ever had a reaction to contrast dye? | ¿Ha tenido alguna vez una reacción al medio de contraste? |
| Patient | Where will the catheter go in, my groin or my wrist? | ¿Por dónde me van a introducir el catéter, por la ingle o por la muñeca? |
| Patient | Will I feel the dye when it is injected? | ¿Voy a sentir el tinte cuando me lo inyecten? |
| Clinician | Please tell me which medicines you take, including blood thinners. | Por favor, dígame qué medicamentos toma, incluidos los anticoagulantes. |
| Patient | When will I get the results of the angiogram? | ¿Cuándo me darán los resultados de la angiografía? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Angiogram |
| Spanish (Español) | Angiografía |
| Chinese (中文) | 血管造影 |
| Korean (한국어) | 혈관 조영술 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Chụp mạch máu (chụp X quang mạch máu) |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Angiogram |
| Portuguese (Português) | Angiografia |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การถ่ายภาพหลอดเลือด |
| Japanese (日本語) | 血管造影検査 |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Heart and circulation
All terms in this area: Heart and circulation — Corazón y circulación
Sources
- angiogram — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- angiograma — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), NIH
- Arteriogram — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, National Library of Medicine
- Arteriografía — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- angiografía — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026