Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 5, Issue 5 247-250, Copyright © 1986 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The echo-Doppler (duplex) system for the detection of vertebral artery occlusive disease: comparison with angiography

A. Visona, L. Lusiani, V. Castellani, G. Ronsisvalle, A. Bonanome and A. Pagnan

The reliability of the echo-Doppler (duplex) system for the visualization of the vertebral arteries was evaluated in 304 patients, in which 588 vertebral arteries had been investigated. Of these, 545 (92.69 per cent) arteries, either normal or diseased, were successfully visualized. However, the origin of the vertebral artery from the subclavian artery was localized in only 354 vessels (60 per cent of those visualized). Angiography was available for comparison in 33 arteries. The overall accuracy and the sensitivity of the duplex were 63.64 per cent and 38.46 per cent, respectively; they attained 86.67 per cent and 83.33 per cent in the vertebral arteries visualized from their origin, (a site early and most commonly involved by the atherosclerotic process). As the vertebral arteries can be visualized with a 92 per cent success rate, their examination should become a routine part of the duplex cerebrovascular study. In order to accurately detect diseased vertebral arteries, their origin from the subclavian artery should be localized.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S Khan, G C Cloud, S Kerry, and H S Markus Imaging of vertebral artery stenosis: a systematic review J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, November 1, 2007; 78(11): 1218 - 1225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G.C. Cloud and H.S. Markus Diagnosis and management of vertebral artery stenosis QJM, January 1, 2003; 96(1): 27 - 54. [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. J. Sons, R. Marx, E. Godehardt, B. Losse, J. Kunert, and W. Bircks Duplex sonography of the internal thoracic artery: Preoperative assessment J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., September 1, 1994; 108(3): 549 - 555. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. E. Y. Van Schil, R. G. A. Ackerstaff, F. E. E. Vermeulen, B. C. Eikelboom, and M. A. A. Schepens Long-Term Clinical and Duplex Follow-up After Proximal Vertebral Artery Reconstruction Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, September 1, 1994; 28(7): 471 - 479. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. E. Y. Van Schil, R. G. A. Ackerstaff, F. E. E. Vermeulen, B. C. Eikelboom, and M. A. A. Schepens Long-Term Clinical and Duplex Follow-up After Proximal Vertebral Artery Reconstruction Angiology, December 1, 1992; 43(12): 961 - 968. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Arnetoli, A. Amadori, P. Stefani, and G. Nuzzaci Sonography of Vertebral Arteries in De Kleyn's Position in Subjects and in Patients with Vertebrobasilar Transient Ischemic Attacks Angiology, August 1, 1989; 40(8): 716 - 720. [Abstract] [PDF]