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Updated: Oct 17, 2026
Continuous Venous-Arterial Doppler Ultrasound During a Preload Challenge
Published on: January 20, 2023
[Variation of Doppler ultrasonography of carotid arteries]
H H Sillesen1, S C Kofoed, P O Ammundsen
1Karkirurgisk Afdeling B, Amtssygehuset i Gentofte. Sillesen@dadlnet.dk
Insights
Ultrasound carotid artery scans varied significantly between hospitals, with many diagnoses changing upon re-examination. This highlights the need for validating ultrasound labs for accurate carotid stenosis assessment.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Medical Ultrasound
Background:
- Carotid stenosis diagnosis relies heavily on ultrasound imaging.
- Variability in ultrasound examination quality can impact patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the agreement between carotid artery ultrasound examinations performed at two different hospitals.
- To identify discrepancies in diagnosing carotid stenosis and occlusion.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 143 carotid arteries from 81 patients.
- Comparison of initial ultrasound scans from local hospitals with subsequent scans at a specialized vascular surgery department.
Main Results:
- Overall agreement between the two ultrasound examinations was only 59%.
- 22% of minor stenosis diagnoses were upgraded to significant stenosis.
- 16% of diagnosed occlusions were found to be patent upon re-examination.
Conclusions:
- Significant variations exist in carotid artery ultrasound examinations between institutions.
- Validation of individual laboratories performing extracranial cervical artery ultrasound is crucial for reliable clinical conclusions.
Abstract:
The variation of ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries performed at two different hospitals was examined by retrospective analysis. Eighty-one patients were primarily examined by ultrasound at their local hospital on the suspicion of carotid stenosis. Following referral, they underwent a further scanning at the Dept. of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet. Results for 143 carotid arteries were available for comparison. The overall agreement between the two examinations was only 59%. In nine of 40 (22%) cases an originally diagnosed minor stenosis was found to be significant and 3/19 (16%) with shown occlusion were found to be patent at the later examination. In order to draw clinical conclusions validation of each individual laboratory performing ultrasound examination of extracranial cervical arteries is necessary.
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