Optimized transcranial Doppler technique for the diagnosis of cardiac right-to-left shunts

Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) is a simple method to detect a right-to-left cardiac shunt, although standardized procedures do not exist. In this study 69 patients were tested according to predetermined criteria and procedures (cluster of > 10 microbubbles, duration between injection in the cubital vein and detection in the middle cerebral artery [MCA] < or = 10 sec). Agitated saline solution was compared to oxypolygelatine, a plasma volume expander, as contrast media. Valsalva's maneuver and coughing were used to provoke right-to-left cardiac shunting, detected by TCD, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Oxypolygelatine caused a significantly higher number of microbubbles in the right atrium and MCA than did the saline solution, leading to a greater diagnostic reliability of TCD (paired t test, p < 0.001). Coughing did not provoke right-to-left cardiac shunts (x2 analysis, p < 0.001). The technique used for carrying out Valsalva's maneuver was important for the detection of right-to-left cardiac shunts. Twenty-five right-to-left shunts were diagnosed with TCD and 18 with TTE (36 vs 26%; x2 analysis, p = 0.1). The findings indicate that TCD when properly done is highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of right-to-left cardiac shunts.