[Color-coded Doppler sonography of the vertebral arteries]

Color-coded Doppler sonography of the vertebral arteries was performed in 86 patients with a history of vertebrobasilar disease. The origin of the artery was visualized in 87.2% on the right and 70.9% on the left side. The interforamen portion of the vertebral artery was visualized in 95% on the right and 97% on the left side. The atlas loop could be visualized in 88.4% on the right and 84.9% on the left side. Pathologic findings were hypoplasia (n = 4), stenosis (n = 19), dissection (n = 2), occlusion (n = 7), kinking (n = 12), and subclavian steal syndrome (n = 3). Nine postoperative patients had subclavian and vertebral artery reimplantation into the common carotid artery. The characteristic color-coded Doppler sonographic features of these findings are presented and discussed.