SummaryAngiographic assessment of cerebro‐vascular disease requires films of high quality and information regarding all extracranial and intra‐cranial vessels. Direct carotid puncture and arch aortography are considered inadequate in several important respects. Four hundred trans‐femoral selective catheter studies have been reviewed to determine if this method offers a practical alternative. The technique was totally successful in 95.5% and diagnostic information was invariably of high quality. This method is recommended as the procedure of choice in the angiographic examination of ischaemic cerebral di