Diagnostic value of color Doppler ultrasonography for subclavian artery involvement in patients with Takayasu’s arteritis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the value of color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of subclavian artery involvement in the Takayasu’s arteritis patients. Methods Eighty-two Takayasu's arteritis patients with subclavian artery involvement treated in Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital from March 2016 to March 2018 were selected as research group, and 85 healthy cases in the same period were selected as control group. The morphological and hemodynamic changes in vascular lesion of research group were observed by two-dimensional ultrasonography and color Doppler ultrasonography, and these data were compared with the control group. Results In researth group, the vascular ultrasound images of the vascular lesion were characterized by the diffuse thickening of intima-media (IMT), stenosis of differenc degrees, and there might even be occlusion of the vascular cavity. The thickness of the intima-media of research group was significantly different from that of control group [(2.75±0.87)mm vs. (0.67±0.34)mm, t=20.212, P<0.001]. Pulse Doppler ultrasonography showed the hemodynamic changes in the lesion segment. The velocity of the blood flow were accelerated when arterial stenosis was presented, but a few ones showed low blood velocity. There was a significant difference in blood flow velocity between research group and control group [(187.92±86.28)cm/s vs. (110.58±57.45)cm/s, t=6.793, P<0.001]. Conclusions Color Doppler ultrasonography can accurately reflect the changes of the vessels of the subclavian artery involved in Takayasu’s arteritis, and can provide a reliable basis for diagnosis of subclavian artery involved by Takayasu’s arteritis. Key words: Takayasu’s arteritis; Subclavian artery; Color Doppler ultrasonography