Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Nov 2004
Effect of contrast material (Levovist) infusion on peak systolic velocity in middle cerebral artery using transcranial color-coded duplex sonography.
It is of crucial importance to predict the presence of stenosis in cerebral artery before occurrence of a stroke. To determine stenosis in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), we examined the effect of contrast agent (Levovist) infusion on transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCD). TCCD was performed in 24 patients with MCA stenosis determined by angiography and/or magnetic resonance angiography, and 42 patients without MCA stenosis were also examined as the control group. ⋯ Difference between precontrast and postcontrast infusion was significantly greater in the stenosis group than in the control group (p < 0.05). We conclude that PSV tends to be underestimate in poor visualization of vessels. To improve accuracy of PSV measurement, contrast enhancement material should be used.