Cerebral veins and sinuses.
Transcranial ultrasonography is an established and reliable method for the evaluation of the arteries of the circle of Willis, even at the patient's bedside. Examination of cerebral veins and sinuses is a new application, which has been developed during the recent years. The ultrasound anatomy, examination technique, findings in cerebral venous thrombosis, and the application of transcranial ultrasonography in nonvenous cerebrovascular diseases is reviewed. While transcranial ultrasonography is an established and reliable method for the diagnostic evaluation of disturbed arterial blood flow, the venous side of circulation has long been neglected. Reasons for this late interest may be the relatively lower incidence of primary intracranial venous disease and the low spatial resolution and limited low flow capability of early transcranial ultrasound systems. It was not until the mid-1990s that venous transcranial ultrasound in adults was systematically developed. In the following the examination technique and clinical applications of this technique are summarized.
Stolz
Erwin
E
Department of Neurology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003392:Cranial Sinuses / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends