B-flow imaging of internal carotid artery stenosis: Comparison with power Doppler imaging and digital subtraction angiography.
OBJECTIVE
Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard in the diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis, but it has a relatively high complication rate. We evaluated the efficacy of B-flow imaging (BFI) in examining internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS) compared with power Doppler imaging (PDI) and DSA.


METHODS
We performed BFI, PDI, and DSA on 56 consecutive patients with suspected ICAS. The degree of stenosis was calculated for each technique, and results of BFI and PDI were then correlated with those of DSA.


RESULTS
Measurements of the percentage of stenosis made using both sonographic techniques were significantly correlated with those of DSA (p < 0.0001). However, the coefficient of correlation between DSA and BFI (r = 0.94) was higher than that between DSA and PDI (r = 0.87). The mean difference between ICAS measurements with BFI and DSA was -1.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], -2.5 to 0). The mean difference between ICAS measurements with PDI and DSA was -6.5% (95% CI, -8.2 to -4.7). ICAS was graded significantly lower on PDI than on DSA, whereas BFI findings were similar to those of DSA.


CONCLUSIONS
BFI shows high correlation with DSA and provides a more accurate planimetric evaluation of ICAS than PDI does.
Yurdakul
Mehmet
M
Department of Radiology, Türkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Kizilay Sokak No: 4, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey.
Tola
Muharrem
M
Cumhur
Turhan
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003626:Data Display; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods