title: Echography in brain imaging in intensive care unit: State of the art.
abstract: Transcranial sonography (TCS) is an ultrasound-based imaging technique, which allows the identification of several structures within the brain parenchyma. In the past it has been applied for bedside assessment of different intracranial pathologies in children. Presently, TCS is also used on adult patients to diagnose intracranial space occupying lesions of various origins, intracranial hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, midline shift and neurodegenerative movement disorders, in both acute and chronic clinical settings. In comparison with conventional neuroimaging methods (such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance), TCS has the advantages of low costs, short investigation times, repeatability, and bedside availability. These noninvasive characteristics, together with the possibility of offering a continuous patient neuro-monitoring system, determine its applicability in the monitoring of multiple emergency and non-emergency settings. Currently, TCS is a still underestimated imaging modality that requires a wider diffusion and a qualified training process. In this review we focused on the main indications of TCS for the assessment of acute neurologic disorders in intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: Anselmo Caricato, Sara Pitoni, Luca Montini, Maria Grazia Bocci, Pina Annetta, Massimo Antonelli, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, "A. Gemelli" Teaching Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, 00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Anselmo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caricato
authors.affiliation: Anselmo Caricato, Sara Pitoni, Luca Montini, Maria Grazia Bocci, Pina Annetta, Massimo Antonelli, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, "A. Gemelli" Teaching Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, 00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pitoni
authors.affiliation: Anselmo Caricato, Sara Pitoni, Luca Montini, Maria Grazia Bocci, Pina Annetta, Massimo Antonelli, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, "A. Gemelli" Teaching Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, 00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montini
authors.affiliation: Anselmo Caricato, Sara Pitoni, Luca Montini, Maria Grazia Bocci, Pina Annetta, Massimo Antonelli, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, "A. Gemelli" Teaching Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, 00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bocci
authors.affiliation: Anselmo Caricato, Sara Pitoni, Luca Montini, Maria Grazia Bocci, Pina Annetta, Massimo Antonelli, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, "A. Gemelli" Teaching Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, 00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Pina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Annetta
authors.affiliation: Anselmo Caricato, Sara Pitoni, Luca Montini, Maria Grazia Bocci, Pina Annetta, Massimo Antonelli, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, "A. Gemelli" Teaching Hospital, Intensive Care Unit, 00168 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonelli
keywords: Brain imaging; Brain sonography; Cerebral hemorrhage; Cerebral sonography; Hydrocephalus; Transcranial sonography; Ultrasounds