• E Stolz, T Gerriets, I Fiss, S S Babacan, G Seidel, and M Kaps.
• Department of Neurology, University of Giessen, Germany.
• AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1999 Sep 1; 20 (8): 1567-71.

Background And PurposeTranscranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) allows the noninvasive, easily reproducible measurement of midline dislocation (MLD) of the third ventricle in space-occupying stroke, even in critically ill patients. However, the method has been validated only in a small number of subjects. The aim of this study was to test the method under clinical conditions.MethodsIn 61 prospectively recruited patients (mean age, 62+/-15 years) with supratentorial ischemic infarction or intracranial hemorrhage, the sonographic measurement of MLD was compared with cranial CT data in a 12-hour time window. Subgroup analysis was also undertaken for comparing TCCS and cranial CT measurements within a 3-hour time window.ResultsOne hundred twenty-two data pairs of TCCS and cranial CT MLD measurements were correlated within the 12-hour time window. TCCS and cranial CT measurements of MLD correlated both in the total patient group and in the different subgroups with coefficients of over 0.9. The 2-SD confidence interval of the difference between the TCCS measurements and the respective means of both methods in the total patient collective was +/-1.78 mm.ConclusionTCCS provides a noninvasive, easily reproducible and reliable method for monitoring MLD of the third ventricle in stroke patients. It is particularly suitable for critically ill patients who are not fit for transportation.

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