Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography of carotid-basilar collateral circulation in subclavian steal.
The combination of a carotid-basilar and a vertebro-vertebral collateral circulation was verified directly in a patient with a complete subclavian steal by means of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. The patient showed permanently reversed blood flow in the basilar artery. The subclavian steal influenced the hemodynamics of the circle of Willis at rest and during functional tests of the collaterally supplied arm. Our investigation provides the first direct experimental evidence of increased blood flow velocity in the carotid artery after decompressing the collaterally supplied arm.
D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013349:Subclavian Steal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*