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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
04:01
Point of Care Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex Ultrasound of the Middle Cerebral Artery
Published on: August 9, 2024
Transcranial Doppler: an introduction for primary care physicians.
Mounzer Y Kassab1, Arshad Majid, Muhammad U Farooq
1Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. mounzer.kassab@ht.msu.edu
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM
|January 6, 2007
Summary
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) offers a safe, reliable, and noninvasive method for assessing cerebral blood flow. Despite its established uses in stroke prevention and monitoring, TCD remains underutilized in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a noninvasive bedside diagnostic tool for evaluating cerebral vasculature.
- It is cost-effective, safe, and reliable compared to other imaging modalities.
- TCD allows for repeated examinations and continuous monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the established and emerging clinical applications of TCD.
- To emphasize the underutilization of TCD despite its benefits.
- To project future trends in TCD utilization.
Main Methods:
- Review of established indications for TCD.
- Discussion of emerging applications, including stroke management.
- Comparison of TCD with micro-bubble enhancement to transesophageal echocardiogram for shunt detection.
Main Results:
- Established uses include screening children with sickle cell disease for stroke prevention and monitoring vasospasm post-subarachnoid hemorrhage.
- TCD is effective in evaluating intracranial occlusive vascular lesions.
- TCD with micro-bubble enhancement shows comparable sensitivity to transesophageal echocardiogram for detecting right-to-left atrial shunts.
Conclusions:
- TCD is a valuable, yet underused, clinical tool for cerebrovascular assessment.
- Increasing healthcare cost containment may drive greater adoption of TCD.
- Further integration of TCD into clinical practice is warranted.
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Preparation of Equipment:
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Preparation of Equipment:
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