Benefit of Echocontrast-Enhanced Transcranial Arterial Color-Coded Duplex Ultrasound

Vol. 20, No. 5, 2005

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Original Paper

Benefit of Echocontrast-Enhanced Transcranial Arterial Color-Coded Duplex Ultrasound
Dirk W. Droste^{a, b}, Thomas Boehm^a, Martin A. Ritter^a, Ralf Dittrich^a, E. Bernd Ringelstein^a

^aDepartment of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany;
^bDepartment of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Address of Corresponding Author

Cerebrovasc Dis 2005;20:332-336 (DOI: 10.1159/000087933)

Key Words

Transcranial color-coded duplex sonography
Intracranial circulation
Contrast media

Abstract

Objectives: Proper assessment of the intracranial arteries by transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCD) is occasionally made difficult by an insufficient temporal bone window, an unfavorable insonation angle, or low flow velocity or volume. In these cases, echocontrast could be helpful to increase the diagnostic confidence or to make the diagnosis at all. Material and Methods:We investigated 67 temporal windows of 47 patients with insufficient native transtemporal insonation conditions before and after the application of the second-generation (gas-filled) microbubble contrast agent Sonovue^® (in 20 patients out of these 47, both temporal windows were insufficient, in the remaining 27 only one side). Results: As compared to the precontrast scans, echocontrast allowed for more segments to be evaluated by pulsed Doppler sonography (p < 0.0001) and for longer lumen segments to be displayed on color mode (p < 0.0001). With the help of contrast medium, flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery could be measured through 65 windows as compared to only 26 windows before contrast was applied (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: In patients with poor precontrast visualization of intracranial arteries, echocontrast-enhanced TCCD is very helpful.

Author Contacts

Prof. Dr. Dirk W. Droste
Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg
4, rue Barblé
LU-2331 Luxembourg (Luxemburg)
Tel. +352 44 11 6627, Fax +352 44 12 89, E-Mail droste.dirk@chl.lu

Article Information

Received: April 11, 2005
Accepted: June 21, 2005
Published online: August 30, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 31

Medline Abstract (ID 16131802)

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