title: Comparison of transcranial color Doppler sonography without and with contrast enhancement for detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the diagnostic value of transcranial color Doppler sonography (TCCS) with contrast-enhanced transcranial color Doppler sonography (CE-TCCS) for the detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients highly suspected of having an intracranial aneurysm were imaged using TCCS and CE-TCCS. The ability to detect the aneurysms and determine their size and location accurately was compared with findings from digital subtraction angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall sensitivity of CE-TCCS was greater than that of TCCS (24/30 versus 20/30, respectively) (p = 0.125), but the difference was not significant. Neither TCCS nor CE-TCCS could detect the three small (≤5 mm diameter) aneurysms. The detection rate for larger aneurysms (5-15 mm diameter, n = 17) was nonsignificantly greater with CE-TCCS (14/17) than with TCCS (11/17) (p = 0.438). Similarly, CE-TCCS detected more large or giant aneurysms (>16 mm diameter) than TCCS (10/10 versus 9/10, respectively) but the difference was not significant (p = 1.000). The benefit of contrast enhancement was identical for aneurysms ≥10 mm or <10 mm in diameter. All (7/7) middle cerebral artery aneurysms were detected by both TCCS and CE-TCCS. CE-TCCS yielded similar or slightly better results than TCCS for all other aneurysm locations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CE-TCCS can improve the sensitivity and detection rate of intracranial aneurysms ≥5 mm in size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li-Shu
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hui-Qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Feng-Lan
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Dong-Ying
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010743:Phospholipids; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride