title: Cervicocranial artery dissection. Detection by Doppler ultrasound and MR angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pulsed Doppler ultrasound and MR angiography (MRA) in the diagnosis of cervicocranial dissection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients with cervicocranial artery dissection were examined over a 3-year period. Twelve patients had dissection of the extracranial part of the internal carotid artery, and 2 had vertebral artery dissection. All patients were examined with pulsed Doppler ultrasound. In addition, all patients had conventional angiography (n = 9) and/or MR imaging including MRA (n = 9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Doppler ultrasound disclosed unspecific abnormalities in 11 of 14 dissected vessels; 3 patients had false-negative Doppler findings. MRA showed vessel abnormalities in 9 of 9 patients; 2 vessels were occluded, and 7 vessels had changes typical of dissection (double lumen and/or string sign). Twelve patients had follow-up examinations with pulsed Doppler ultrasound (n = 12), conventional angiography (n = 3), and MRA/MR (n = 11). Follow-up Doppler showed complete or partial normalization in 6 of 9 patients, all confirmed by either angiography or MRA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that Doppler ultrasound may be used in follow-up of pathologic Doppler findings in known dissections, and that MRA may replace angiography in the confirmative diagnosis of cervicocranial dissection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bakke
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerty
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology