Validity of Cervical Carotid Doppler Velocimetry for Cerebral Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Comparison of Doppler flow parameters measured by pulsed Doppler method with angiographic findings was studied in 77 patients (121 common carotid arteries) . A RT-3600 scanner which employs a 5-MHz transducer in the Doppler mode, was used for the duplex studies. Duplex studies were performed after cerebral angiography. All patients had images of right and/or left common carotid artery obtained by digital subtraction angiography, and conventional cerebral angiography. The severity of atheroscler-osis was scored by angiographic findings : atheromatous plaque, wall irregularity, stenosis, tortousity, and so on. Systolic velocity, diastolic velocity, mean velocity, and pulsatility index were measured by the pulsed Doppler technique in the common carotid artery. The systolic velocity, diastolic velocity, and mean velocity showed negative currelations with the atherosclerotic score on angiograms, and the pulsatility index showed positive correlation with that on angiograms. Pulsatility index in patients with cerebral infarction in the examind internal carotid artery distribution was statistically significantly higher than that in patients having no ischemic lesions. It was thought that Doppler flow parameters, such as systolic velocity, diastolic velocity, mean velocity, and pulsatility index reflected well the severity of atherosclerosis, and Doppler ultrasound was a useful method for evaluating atherosclerosis and cerebral ischemic lesions.