Assessment of cervical carotid artery disease. A comparison between the Doppler "Echoflow" and conventional angiography

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Neurology

Background:

• Carotid artery disease is a primary cause of stroke and cerebrovascular insufficiency.
• Conventional angiography is the gold standard but involves risks and high costs.
• Non-invasive diagnostic techniques are sought to improve patient safety and reduce healthcare expenses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of a novel ultrasound flowmeter (Echoflow) against conventional angiography.
• To evaluate Echoflow's utility as a non-invasive screening tool for carotid artery disease.
• To determine if Echoflow can effectively guide the selection of patients for further invasive investigation.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 52 patients and 101 carotid arteries was conducted.
• Echoflow, a velocity-sensitive, color-coded Doppler ultrasound flowmeter, was utilized.
• Results were compared with findings from conventional angiography.

Main Results:

• An acceptable correlation between Echoflow and angiography was observed in 78% of the investigated arteries.
• Echoflow demonstrated particular accuracy in identifying normal carotid arteries.
• The study identified Echoflow as a valuable tool for initial patient assessment.

Conclusions:

• Echoflow ultrasound is a reliable non-invasive method for initial investigation of carotid artery disease.
• Its accuracy in assessing normal arteries supports its use as a first-line diagnostic tool.
• Echoflow can aid in selecting patients who require further, more invasive studies like angiography, potentially reducing unnecessary procedures.