• Bettina von Sarnowski, Alexander V Khaw, Christof Kessler, and Ulf Schminke.
• Department of Neurology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. Bettina.vonSarnowski@ uni-greifswald.de
• J Neuroimaging. 2010 Jul 1;20(3):246-50.

Background And PurposeDue to the geometry of linear array transducers and the anatomy of the supraclavicular, and jugular fossa it is often impossible to get an appropriate ultrasonic view of the intrathoracic segments of the supraaortic arteries and their origin from the aortic arch. We aimed to compare a conventional linear with a microconvex array transducer for their ability to visualize these vessel segments.MethodsWe examined 21 volunteers for the intrathoracic segments of the common carotid arteries (CCA), subclavian arteries (SA), vertebral arteries (VA), brachiocephalic (innominate) artery (IA), and the visibility of the aortic arch (AA) with a 5.7-10.0-MHz linear array and a 3.5-11.5-MHz microconvex array transducer.ResultsThe most proximal segment of the left CCA (0% vs. 47.6%, P= .0005), the left SA (0% vs. 23.8%, P= .0478), the left VA (47.6% vs. 90.5%, P= .0063), the IA (14.2% vs. 61.9%, P= .0036), and the AA (4.8% vs. 52.4%, P= .0014) were significantly more often visualized with the microconvex than with the linear probe.ConclusionDue to its much smaller contact surface, the microconvex array transducer revealed a better and more extended view of the intrathoracic segments of the supraaortic arteries and the aortic arch.

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