title: [Preliminary study of an intracavitary convex array probe for detecting distal extracranial internal carotid artery by transoral carotid ultrasonography].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the feasibility of using an intracavitary convex array probe for detecting the distal extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) by transoral carotid ultrasonography (TOCU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients underwent examinations with bilateral ICA inspected with an intracavitary convex array probe by TOCU to observe the internal diameter, visible length, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight of the 40 patients were excluded from the observation for the presence of carotid plaques. The examination was terminated in two patients due to sensitive throat and severe pharyngeal reflex. The rest of the patients completed the examination of the internal diameter, visible length, PSV, EDV and RI, which showed no statistically significant differences among them (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using intracavitary convex array probe, the distal extracranial ICA disease can be diagnosed with higher accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. nizijiayou0108@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Xing-xing
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zi-hai
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Bao-ping
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Feng-lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000379:methods*