Carotid ultrasound comparison with angiography. Why do we make mistakes and how to avoid them?

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of stroke. Non-invasive diagnostic technique can detect and evaluate the severity of the stenosis of the arteries: carotid duplex scanning, magnetic resonance and computed tomography angiography. Selective digital subtraction angiography is minimally invasive method. Selective angiography is the «gold» standard in the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of carotid arteries. The method allows to evaluate the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain and at the same time to perform endovascular surgery. Duplex scanning of the Carotid Arteries, magnetic resonance and computed tomography angiography showed high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of Carotid Artery stenosis, compared with the selective digital subtraction angiography. Ultrasonography – fast, relatively inexpensive diagnostic study of vessels disease. Although the results of carotid duplex scanning may be different in other laboratories and researchers, but the sensitivity and specificity of this study is defined as the highest. The article analyzes the results own researches and to introduce the review features of digital subtraction angiography and ultrasound. Possible reasons that cause different results from different methods have been analyzed.

Keywords

• atherosclerosis, carotid artery stenosis, carotid ultrasound, selective digital subtraction angiography.