title: Three-dimensional color Doppler sonography in carotid artery stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Color Doppler sonography (CDS) suffers from such disadvantages as high interobserver variability and problems with data presentation and storage. We therefore performed a prospective trial to assess the role of three-dimensional CDS (3D-CDS) in the evaluation of internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 32 consecutive patients with sonographically verified ICAS (30-99%) and 16 asymptomatic volunteers. All underwent CDS and 3D-CDS, and 23 patients also underwent intraarterial angiography. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the detection of high-grade ICAS were analyzed by three blinded readers, who also graded the percentage of ICAS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CDS revealed 14 patients with mild to moderate ICAS and 18 patients with high-grade ICAS. Mean sensitivity of 3D-CDS was 81.5%, mean specificity was 98.9%, mean positive predictive value was 97.9%, and mean negative predictive value was 89.9%. 3D-CDS correlated significantly with CDS (mean r=0.85; P<.001) and angiography (mean r=0.57; P=.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D-CDS findings correlate with those obtained by CDS and angiography; 3D-CDS also offers excellent interobserver correlation, positive predictive value, and specificity, approaching 100% for the detection of high-grade ICAS.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Radiology, Department of Angiography and Interventional Radiology, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bucek
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirisamer
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haumer
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Minar
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lammer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color