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Updated: Mar 21, 2026
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Point of Care Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex Ultrasound of the Middle Cerebral Artery
Published on: August 9, 2024
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Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex in Acute Encephalitis: Current Status and Future Prospects
Odysseas Kargiotis1, Apostolos Safouris1,2, Georgios Magoufis1
1Stroke Unit, Metropolitan Hospital, Piraeus, Greece.
Summary
Transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) may aid in diagnosing acute encephalitis. Serial TCCD revealed abnormal pulsatility index patterns in affected arteries, which normalized with symptom improvement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Diagnostic Ultrasound
Background:
- Limited data exists on transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) utility in acute encephalitis.
- Assessing TCCD's diagnostic role in central nervous system infections is crucial.
Observation:
- Two acute encephalitis cases presented with aphasia and confusion.
- Serial TCCD evaluations were performed at baseline and 48 hours.
Findings:
- A triad of TCCD findings was observed: elevated pulsatility index (PI) in the left middle cerebral artery (MCA), increased inter-hemispheric PI asymmetry, and a significant PI decrease at follow-up.
- The PI decrease correlated with clinical symptom improvement.
Implications:
- TCCD may offer diagnostic insights into acute encephalitis, potentially reflecting intracranial pressure or vasospasm.
- Further research with larger patient cohorts is needed to validate these preliminary findings.
