Features of carotid artery flow velocity in healthy subjects and consequences for evaluating stenosis in the internal carotid artery.
C-W-Doppler analysis of flow velocity in the carotid arteries was performed in 98 healthy volunteers, age 16-74 years, 49 of each sex, and in 23 subjects with carotid disease. Maximum frequency shift (MFS) and total band-width in the healthy proximal internal carotid artery were negatively correlated to age in both sexes (p less than 0.001). MFS was lower in the normal proximal internal carotid artery than in the common carotid artery in both sexes. Minimum frequency shifts were more often, and more negative in the proximal than in the distal part of the internal carotid artery (p less than 0.001 in men and less than 0.01 in women) and still more so in the proximal part of the pathological internal carotids as compared with the normal ones (p less than 0.001). The computer-fitted regression between MFS and the degree of angiographic stenosis in the subjects with carotid artery disease was nearly identical with the mathematically calculated relationship for an ellipsoid stenosis. There is reason to believe that the degree of area stenosis calculated from frequency shift and predicted normal values gives a more true interpretation of functional stenosis than angiography, while the latter might be superior for evaluating vascular patho-anatomy, giving information also about intrathoracic and intracranial vessels, which also is important for evaluating patients with TIA and related symptoms.
Jungquist
G
G
Department of Clinical Physiology, Malmö General Hospital, University of Lund, Sweden.
Arborelius
M
M
Lindell
S E
SE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography