Color Doppler flow imaging demonstrated 100% sensitivity for detecting carotid disease compared with angiography, and 91.3% to 97.8% accuracy in classifying stenosis severity versus standard Doppler.
Cross-Sectional (n=180)
Does color Doppler flow imaging accurately detect and classify carotid artery disease compared to standard Doppler sonography and angiography?
Color Doppler flow imaging is a highly sensitive and accurate noninvasive modality for detecting and grading carotid artery stenosis, providing additional information on plaque morphology and hemodynamics.
Carotid artery disease was assessed in 180 patients by means of color Doppler flow imaging. Color Doppler findings in 360 carotid arteries were compared with the results of standard Doppler sonography, and color Doppler findings in 60 bifurcations were compared with the results of intraarterial angiography. The sensitivity of color Doppler for the detection of carotid disease was 100% when compared with angiography. The accuracy of color Doppler in classifying minor (40-60%), moderate (61-80%), and severe (81-90%) stenosis ranged from 91.3% to 97.8% vs standard Doppler sonography, and from 91.7% to 95.8% vs angiography. Whereas all occlusions were identified correctly by both color Doppler and angiography, four pseudoocclusions of the carotid artery were misdiagnosed as occluded. Characteristic features providing reliable criteria of the degree of stenosis are (1) intensity, extent, and duration of color fading; (2) postprocessed systolic peak frequency; (3) plaque extent on serial sonograms; and (4) poststenotic flow patterns. Display of hemodynamic disturbances induced by less pronounced plaques showed highly variable patterns that could not be anticipated from the plaque morphology alone. Thus, color Doppler preserves the advantages of standard Doppler and duplex sonography but provides additional information about otherwise anechoic necrotic and thrombotic material that often causes cerebral embolisms. With atherogenesis, repair mechanisms may be sustained or progression be stopped by reducing the risk factors and instituting medical treatment; thus, the application of this noninvasive technique is important.
Steinke et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Carotid artery disease (n=180). Color Doppler flow imaging vs. Standard Doppler sonography and intraarterial angiography was evaluated on Sensitivity for the detection of carotid disease compared with angiography. Color Doppler flow imaging demonstrated 100% sensitivity for detecting carotid disease compared with angiography, and 91.3% to 97.8% accuracy in classifying stenosis severity versus standard Doppler.
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