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Published on: August 9, 2024
Artery-to-Artery cerebral emboli detection with transcranial doppler: Analysis of eight cases
1From the Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Insights
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) effectively detected intracranial arterial emboli in eight cases. Angiography identified the sources, including atherosclerosis and dissection, showing TCD
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Imaging
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
Background:
- Intracranial arterial emboli pose a significant risk for stroke.
- Identifying the source of emboli is crucial for effective treatment and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of transcranial Doppler (TCD) in detecting intracranial arterial emboli.
- To identify the sources of these emboli using TCD and angiography.
Main Methods:
- Case series of eight patients with suspected intracranial arterial emboli.
- Detection of microemboli using transcranial Doppler (TCD).
- Confirmation of embolic source using conventional angiography.
Main Results:
- TCD successfully detected microemboli in all eight cases.
- Angiography identified the sources, including atherosclerosis (3), radiation-induced atherosclerosis/dissection (1), fibromuscular dysplasia (1), and traumatic dissection (3).
- TCD aided in localizing the embolic source and monitoring treatment.
Conclusions:
- Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a valuable tool for detecting intracranial arterial emboli.
- TCD assists in identifying the underlying vascular pathology responsible for emboli.
- TCD can be used to monitor treatment effectiveness for patients with intracranial emboli.
Abstract:
We present eight cases in which intracranial arterial emboli were detected with transcranial Doppler (TCD). In all patients, the putative arterial source of emboli was demonstrated by angiography. The presumed lesion representing the source of emboli was atherosclerosis (three), radiation-induced atherosclerosis/dissection (one), fibromuscular dysplasia (one), and traumatic dissection (three). TCD was effective in detecting microemboli, localizing the potential source of emboli, and monitoring the effectiveness of treatment.
