[Cerebrovascular Doppler ultrasound studies (cv-Doppler)]

With the cv-Doppler examination, obstructions in the extracranial cerebral arteries can be detected with high reliability. The method can be used - if properly applied - to determine the further diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in cerebrovascular patients. Carotid artery Doppler is based on measurement of blood flow in the teminal branches of the ophthalmic artery and the common carotid atery with and without additional compression manoeuvers of the common carotid artery and branches of the external carotid artery. With direct measurements over the carotid artery, external and internal carotid artery can be differentiated, and stenoses as well as major ulcerated lesions can be localized by pathological flow patterns in the vicinity of these obstructions. In Vertebral-/Subclavian artery Doppler blood flow of the vertebral artery is picked up with the probe placed through the mouth on the locally anesthesized mucous membrane of the oropharynx. By compression of the common carotid artery at the site and opposite to the vessel under examination, the vertebral artery is differentiated from branches of the carotid artery. Blood flow in the central portion of the subclavian artery is picked up by placing the probe in the supraclavicular fossa over the target vessel. - The cv-Doppler examination was used in 3961 patients of whom 570 underwent cerebral angiography. The findings of the noninvasive and invasive method corresponded in more than 94% of the cases.