Factors associated with temporal window failure in transcranial Doppler sonography

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Vascular Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Temporal window failure (TWF) affects 8-20% of individuals.
• Limited studies exist on factors influencing TWF.
• This study aimed to identify key determinants of TWF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors contributing to temporal window failure (TWF).
• To identify novel associations with TWF beyond established variables.
• To improve diagnostic accuracy in transcranial Doppler sonography.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 376 patients undergoing transcranial Doppler sonography and cerebral angiography.
• Comparison of demographic, cardiovascular, and imaging data between TWF-positive and TWF-negative groups.
• Multivariate logistic regression to identify significant predictors of TWF.

Main Results:

• TWF-positive patients were older, with a higher proportion of women and lower smoking rates than TWF-negative patients.
• Significant factors associated with TWF included age, sex, temporal bone thickness, temporal bone density, and soft tissue thickness.
• Soft tissue thickness emerged as a novel predictor of TWF.

Conclusions:

• Age, sex, temporal bone thickness, and density are confirmed factors in TWF.
• Soft tissue thickness of the temporal area is identified as a new factor associated with TWF.
• Measuring temporal soft tissue thickness may help mitigate measurement errors in suspected TWF cases.