title: Ophthalmic artery aneurysms: an investigation by duplex scan.
abstract: With the objective of analyzing the postaneurysmal peak systolic velocity (PSV) in ophthalmic arteries, duplex scanning was analyzed in 28 carotid-ophthalmic artery segments after exclusion of ipsilateral carotid stenosis. For comparison, the angiographic study of the extracranial and intracranial carotid system was utilized as the "gold standard." A subgroup of 7 subjects with 8 ophthalmic arteries with aneurysms identified where the artery leaves the internal carotid artery presented with PSVs significantly reduced (mean PSVs 17.95 +/- 7.99 cm/s) compared to the mean PSVs in the healthy group (27.95 +/- 5.54 cm/s) (p = 0.006). A PSV of less than 19 cm/s offered a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 100% in diagnosing ophthalmic artery aneurysms. We conclude that duplex scan is diagnostically useful in the identification of patients with ophthalmic artery aneurysms when severe ipsilateral carotid stenosis is excluded.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, Medical School, Brazil.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Caldas
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Cerri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000792:Angiography; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex