title: Effect of contralateral internal carotid stenosis on the accuracy of continuous wave Doppler spectral analysis results.
abstract: In order to determine the effect of a hemodynamically significant contralateral stenosis on the results of a carotid Doppler study, 333 continuous wave Doppler spectral analysis studies were compared to angiography. For most grades of stenoses, both the peak frequency and the spectral broadening index were increased in the group of patients with contralateral carotid arterial stenoses greater than 50% by comparison with the group with less severe stenoses. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, the diagnostic accuracy was found to be slightly reduced by the presence of significant contralateral disease. Hence, when interpreting the results of carotid Doppler examinations, the presence or absence of a hemodynamically significant contralateral stenosis should be considered in determining the likelihood that an ipsilateral stenosis is present and in evaluating its severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forconi
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D014463:Ultrasonography