Doppler Sonography of Vertebral Arteries in Adult Patients with Vertigo

Abstract

Objectives: The present study was designed to determine the value of the blood flow velocity and hemodynamic changes in the extracranial vertebral arteries in adults with vertigo by using color flow Doppler ultrasonography. Material and Methods: Ninety-six adult patients with vertigo without definite otogenic causes (clinically and audiologically normal) were investigated by color flow Doppler ultrasonography. Electronystagmography was done to correlate its findings with those of vertebral arteries Doppler blood flow (VABF). Results: A significantly slow VABF was reported in the vertigo group when compared with the control group. Velocity of vertebral artery in 54.2% cases showed abnormal findings: a laterality in 29.2% and a low circulatory velocity in 25%. In 66.6% of cases the findings of Doppler and Electronystagmography are in agreement. Conclusion: Doppler ultrasonography is a recent valuable tool which gives useful information on VABF in the diagnosis of dizzy patients especially those who are clinically and audiologically normal.