彩色多普勒超声在诊断巨细胞颞动脉炎中的应用价值

目的：探讨彩色多普勒超声在诊断巨细胞颞动脉炎（GCTA）中的临床应用价值及其超声分型。方法：分析经病理证实的15例GCTA的超声表现和特点,并根据声像图特征进行超声分型。结果：GCTA的超声形态学特征性改变为：二维超声图像上主要表现为血管壁呈向心性增厚,血管腔内径变窄;彩色多普勒血流显像示颞动脉血管腔周围有一特征性的低回声“晕”;另一种表现为血管壁呈不规则增厚,回声增强,血管腔狭窄,血管腔内血流信号呈周边充盈缺损样改变。超声诊断阳性病例为15例,临床病理活检证实12例,3例为超声诊断假阳性,超声诊断准确率为80％,敏感性为100％。根据超声图像改变,将GCTA分为两型：肉芽肿型和类动脉硬化型。结论：高分辨力超声诊断GCTA简单、适用、无创伤性,有助于提高GCTA的诊断准确率。     

彩色多普勒超声与64层CT血管造影在巨细胞颞动脉炎诊断中的应用价值

目的探讨彩色多普勒超声与CT血管造影（CTA）检查在巨细胞动脉炎临床诊断中的应用价值。方法2006年10月至2008年11月在山东省医学影像学研究所风湿免疫科住院患者21例,经彩色多普勒超声诊断巨细胞颞动脉炎后,所有病例均进行颞浅动脉CT强化扫描检查并行颞浅动脉血管三维重建CTA。21例病例均进行颞动脉活检。结果彩色多普勒超声在所有21例病例中共检出病变血管32条,巨细胞动脉炎的超声形态学特征性改变为：二维超声图像上表现为血管壁回声减低,血管壁呈向心性增厚,血管腔内径变窄,病变血管呈节段性改变;在彩色多普勒血流显像检查时颞动脉血管腔周围有一特征性的低回声晕,血管腔狭窄,血管腔内血流信号呈周边充盈缺损样改变,当血管腔闭塞时血管腔内无血流信号显示;或者血管内膜呈不规则增厚,回声增强,血管腔不规则狭窄,类似于动脉硬化斑块形成。所有21例患者1次颞浅动脉血管CTA检查均可清晰成像,共检出病变血管30条,病变血管狭窄时,血管腔内影像显示对比剂浓度变淡,血管边缘处对比剂呈不规则充盈缺损改变,部分病变段血管腔内径呈特征性串珠样改变;血管闭塞时,正常血管走行区域对比剂显示中断、消失。21例颞动脉活检病例中阳性者占19例,64层螺旋强化CT血管成像检查诊断正确符合率为90．4％（19／21）,彩色多普勒超声诊断与病理活检结果相符者19例,占所有病例的90．4％（19／21）。结论高分辨率彩色多普勒超声和64层螺旋强化CT血管成像在诊断巨细胞颞动脉炎中能够清楚地显示颞动脉及分支血管狭窄或闭塞,为临床诊断巨细胞颞动脉炎提供准确的诊断依据,并可用以替代传统的创伤性数字造影检查。在诊断功能上可替代病变血管组织病理活检,减少患者的痛苦,具有重要的临床价值和社会效益。     

PLASMA VISCOSITY AND THE DIAGNOSIS OF GIANT CELL ARTERITIS

The level of plasma viscosity associated with the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis, and its use as a replacement for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is examined, by reviewing the records of 59 patients undergoing temporal artery biopsy. All patients with positive temporal artery biopsy had plasma viscosity above the upper limit of normal (1.72 mPa.s), range 1.88 to 2.28. There was a large group of patients with a possible diagnosis, supported by a raised plasma viscosity, who in the absence of a positive biopsy were not felt to have clinical disease requiring steroid treatment. The role of plasma viscosity appears to be similar to that of the ESR in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.     

Color duplex sonography: diagnostic tool in the differentiation of inguinal hernias.

We investigated the accuracy of combined physical and color duplex sonographic examination in the preoperative distinction of direct inguinal hernias. After a learning period (with 15 male patients) 50 consecutive male patients who underwent surgery in our department for small inguinal hernias between July 1995 and April 1996 were examined. On color duplex examination the relationship between the hernial sac and the inferior epigastric artery was determined. Intraoperative results were then compared with the data obtained preoperatively. The sensitivity of our physical examination for direct inguinal hernia was 75% with a specificity and a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 80%. The identification of the IEA as well as the hernial sac was successful on every color duplex sonographic study. The sensitivity of color duplex sonography for direct inguinal hernias amounted to 90%, the specificity was 86%, the positive predictive value was 78%, and the negative predictive value was 89%. Both combined hernias found intraoperatively had not been detected either by physical examination or by color duplex examination. Correspondence of results obtained by physical examination and color duplex examination leads to high accuracy in the diagnosis of direct inguinal hernias.     

Diagnosing temporal arteritis: duplex vs. biopsy

BACKGROUND: Temporal artery biopsy is the traditionally-accepted method of diagnosing temporal arteritis, but is of limited sensitivity. AIM: To compare the clinical decisions made after negative temporal artery biopsy vs. negative temporal artery duplex, and the effects on patient outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. METHODS: Of 290 patients suspected of having temporal arteritis, 147 underwent bilateral temporal artery duplex with a negative result, and 143 underwent unilateral temporal artery biopsy with a negative result. These groups were compared. Dependent measures included the proportion of patients in each group whose steroids were discontinued by their primary care doctor after either negative test, and the difference in the number of alternative diagnoses considered after a negative test. The incidence of blindness in each group was also compared, as a measure of adverse outcomes. Patients were then stratified by pre-test probability of having the disease, and compared using the same measures. RESULTS: Equivalent proportions of patients in the two groups had steroids discontinued after a negative test result, even when further stratified into risk groups by the probability of having temporal arteritis. No differences in adverse outcomes or number of alternative diagnoses considered were noted between groups. DISCUSSION: In clinical practice, bilateral temporal artery duplex served the same function as biopsy, but without subjecting patients to the potential morbidity of a surgical procedure. Temporal artery biopsy could be reserved only for situations where the duplex result is inconsistent with the clinical picture, and the biopsy result, if different from the duplex result, might influence the treatment decision.     

Transvaginal color Doppler sonography versus sonohysterography in the diagnosis of endometrial polyps.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of transvaginal color Doppler sonography (TVCD) and sonohysterography (SHG) in the diagnosis of endometrial polyps. METHODS: Fifty-one women (mean age, 51 years; range, 27-75 years) with clinical or B-mode sonographic suspicion of endometrial polyps were included in this prospective study. Transvaginal color Doppler sonography first and then SHG were performed in all patients. On TVCD, a polyp was suspected when a vascular pedicle penetrating the endometrium from the myometrium was identified. On SHG, a polyp was suspected when a focal polypoid lesion was seen within the endometrial cavity. All patients underwent hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy, the findings of which were used as the criterion standard. Sensitivity and specificity for TVCD and SHG were calculated and compared by the McNemar test. RESULTS: Hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy findings were as follows: endometrial polyps, 41; endometrial hyperplasia, 3; cystic atrophy, 4; proliferative endometrium, 2; and endometritis, 1. Sensitivity and specificity for TVCD and SHG were 95% and 80% and 100% and 80%, respectively (McNemar test, P = .5) CONCLUSIONS: Transvaginal color Doppler sonography and SHG had similar performance for diagnosing endometrial polyps.     

Sonography as a predictor of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether renal sonography can be used to predict the pathologic diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 87 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients who underwent both kidney biopsy and renal sonography after referral to the Johns Hopkins Renal Clinic from January 1995 to July 2002. Using a standardized measure of echogenicity, an independent blinded radiologist reviewed the original sonographic images. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, receiver operating characteristic curves, and likelihood ratios were determined with the use of the biopsy pathologic report as the criterion standard. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (39%) had biopsy-proved human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy. A higher serum creatinine level, greater proteinuria, and black race were associated with human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy, whereas age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes were not. Sensitivity and specificity for the highest 2 levels of echogenicity were 96% and 51%, respectively Sensitivity and specificity for the highest level of echogenicity were 40% and 95%. The likelihood ratio for the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy on the basis of the highest echogenicity score was 7.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.3-73.0; P = .006). The likelihood ratio for the lowest 2 echogenicity scores was 0.08 (95% confidence interval, 0.002-0.57; P = 0.003). Kidney size was not associated with human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy status. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that, among patients with human immunodeficiency virus and kidney disease, the highest and lowest levels of sonographic echogenicity have diagnostic value in respectively establishing or excluding human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy.     

Increased detection of early vascular abnormalities after renal biopsies by color Doppler sonography.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of abnormal vascular findings after renal biopsies as detected by color and pulsed Doppler sonography. METHODS: With both color and pulsed Doppler sonography, we examined 77 patients who underwent a renal biopsy of a native kidney. The examination was carried out before and immediately after the biopsy. A follow-up sonographic assessment was performed 24 hours later. If abnormal vascular findings were detected, the patients were reexamined after 2 weeks or even for a longer period. RESULTS: Tissue samples suitable for histologic diagnosis were obtained in 94% of the biopsies. In 17 of 77 patients, changes were observed in the color and pulsed Doppler examination immediately after the biopsy. A small localized flow disturbance was diagnosed in 10 kidneys, and a color tract was seen in 7. In 1 case, this tract was associated with a small localized flow disturbance. In 2 other patients, a localized flow disturbance was detected only in the examination performed 24 hours after the biopsy. Eight of the 10 flow disturbances diagnosed immediately after the biopsy and all tracts were not visible at the 24-hour follow-up examination. All these vascular findings were undetectable on sonographic examination without color and pulsed Doppler imaging. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that vascular lesions, detectable with color and pulsed Doppler sonography, are not rare findings early after renal biopsies. These vascular findings show a high rate of spontaneous resolution within the first 24 hours.     

Role of transvaginal sonography in the diagnosis of peritoneal inclusion cysts.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the accuracy of B-mode transvaginal sonography alone and combined with color Doppler imaging and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) plasma concentrations in differentiating peritoneal cysts from other adnexal masses. METHODS: Between September 1999 and September 2003, 213 adnexal masses underwent transvaginal sonography combined with power Doppler evaluation. Plasma concentrations of CA 125 were measured before surgery. The sonographic suspicion of peritoneal cysts (the presence of a bizarre lump-shaped cyst with a thin wall and fine internal septations with or without an ovary suspended among adhesions) was then compared with the surgical diagnosis. The overall agreement between the sonographic test results and the surgical findings was calculated by the kappa index. The diagnostic value of each test was also evaluated with likelihood ratios (LRs). RESULTS: Thirteen of 213 patients were found to have peritoneal cysts. Specificity and sensitivity of B-mode sonography for differentiating peritoneal cysts from other adnexal masses were 96% (95% confidence interval, 94%-97%) and 62% (95% confidence interval, 35%-83%), respectively. The value of the negative LR (0.40) indicated a good clinical test, whereas the positive LR (15) indicated an excellent test. Power Doppler imaging did not seem to increase the accuracy of B-mode transvaginal sonography (kappa = 0.51 and 0.52, respectively), nor did the association of CA 125 plasma concentration (kappa = 0.34). CONCLUSIONS: Transvaginal sonography alone is a useful method for detection of peritoneal cysts.     

Initiation of glucocorticoid therapy: before or after temporal artery biopsy?

OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical findings in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA) that may help clinicians decide when to initiate glucocorticoid therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical diagnostic codes and surgical indexing were used to identify all patients who had temporal artery biopsy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1997. Patient medical records were abstracted for pertinent clinical data, glucocorticoid use, and final diagnoses. Sensitivities, specificities, predictive values, and likelihood ratios were calculated for the association of the various clinical findings and the presence of a positive biopsy result. Graphic and arithmetic models were constructed to predict positive temporal artery biopsy results. RESULTS: During the 10-year interval, 1113 patients had temporal artery biopsy. The results were positive for GCA in 373 patients (33.5%) and negative in 740 (665%). Twenty percent of all patients were taking glucocorticoids at the time of biopsy. The presence of jaw claudication had a positive predictive value of 78. Combinations of jaw claudication with new headache, scalp tenderness, and decreased vision had still higher values. Positive likelihood ratios in patients with these combinations and in those with diplopia were greater than 3. A normal erythrocyte sedi-mentation rate in patients not taking corticosteroids provided a high negative likelihood ratio of 40. An arithmetic equation provided the probability of a positive biopsy result on a continuous scale using 6 variables identified by logistic regression. Patients with a greater than 80% chance of a positive biopsy result and those with less than a 10% chance were identified. CONCLUSION: Positive predictive values, likelihood ratios, and an arithmetic formula identify patients who have an increased or decreased chance of a positive temporal artery biopsy result. Use of these methods to determine early initiation of glucocorticoid therapy before temporal artery biopsy or deferral until after biopsy may help reduce both vascular complications of GCA and adverse effects of corticosteroids.     

Frequency,clinical significance and impact on therapy of duplex sonographic vascular findings in renal allograft dysfunction

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of vascular findings by color-coded duplex sonography in renal allografts with dysfunction. Furthermore, we estimated the clinical significance of these findings and their impact on therapy. Methods: A total of 184 duplex scans were performed in 119 patients (68 male, 51 female) with insufficient or declining diuresis and/or rising creatinine. Color-coded duplex sonography was used to examine the entire length of the iliac vessels as well as the central and peripheral renal arteries and veins. Results: A total of 45 abnormal vascular findings were identified in 37 patients (31%, including 21 transplant artery stenoses (7 > 50%), 5 iliac stenoses, 11 AV fistulas and 8 venous stenoses. Of all vascular findings, 4 were determined to be responsible for functional deterioration, including 2 high grade kinking stenoses of the transplant artery in the early post-operative period, 1 transplant artery stenosis in the middle segment and 1 high-grade iliac artery stenosis. The other abnormal vascular findings did not appear to cause renal dysfunction. Biopsy results did not explain the functional deterioration in 1.6% of patients without vascular findings but in 13% of patients with vascular findings. Conclusions: Abnormal duplex sonographic vascular findings occur frequently in renal allografts but only a few of them are responsible for deterioration of graft function. Histologic findings insufficient to explain renal dysfunction possibly indicate a potential vascular cause. Due to its non-invasiveness, color-coded duplex sonography is a useful diagnostic tool but all findings need to be interpreted strictly in a clinical context.     

Median arcuate ligament syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the importance of obtaining erect views when evaluating the celiac artery with sonography. METHODS: Two patients had duplex and color flow Doppler sonographic evaluations of the celiac artery, including inspiration, expiration, and erect views. RESULTS: Both patients had elevated celiac artery velocities with inspiration and expiration. These results alone would suggest celiac artery stenosis. With erect views, the celiac artery velocities returned to normal. The addition of erect views allowed the correct diagnosis of median arcuate ligament syndrome to be made. CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating the celiac artery, it is important to include erect views to prevent misdiagnosis of celiac artery stenosis.     

Color Doppler sonographic mapping of pulmonary lesions: evidence of dual arterial supply by spectral analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Within pulmonary lesions, flow signals of pulmonary arteries can be discriminated from flow signals of central bronchial and peripheral bronchial arteries on color Doppler sonography. Our aim was to evaluate the evidence and frequency of different arterial supplies of pleural-based pulmonary lesions using qualitative and quantitative color Doppler sonography. METHODS: Forty-one patients with roentgenologically confirmed pleural-based pulmonary lesions were investigated by color Doppler sonography. The following parameters were investigated: (1) qualitative color Doppler sonographic evidence of vascularization, (2) quantitative color Doppler sonographic evidence of arterial flow signals (resistive index and pulsatility index), and (3) number of different arterial flow signals in 1 lesion by color Doppler sonographic mapping. RESULTS: We found no vascularization in 5 patients, sparse vascularization in 21, and pronounced vascularization in 15. Quantitative color Doppler sonographic parameters were as follows: mean pulmonary artery resistive index, 1.2; mean central bronchial artery resistive index, 0.5; mean peripheral bronchial artery resistive index, 0.7; mean pulmonary artery pulsatility index, 7.8; mean central bronchial artery pulsatility index, 0.7; and mean peripheral bronchial artery pulsatility index, 1.6. There was a significant difference between all types of flow signals for resistive and pulsatility index values but not between pulmonary and peripheral bronchial arteries (P = .068). In 41 patients, 57 different arterial flow signals were determined; 19 (46%) of these patients had 2 or more different arterial flow signals in a lesion. There was no significant difference between benign and malignant lesions regarding the number of flow signals. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of at least a dual arterial supply can be found on quantitative color Doppler sonography in almost 50% of pulmonary lesions. A single spectral analysis is not suitable for characterization of the arterial supply of pulmonary lesions.     

Celiac artery compression syndrome in children, adolescents, and young adults: clinical and color duplex sonographic features in a series of 59 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal pain is one of the most common conditions in childhood and adolescence. Celiac artery compression syndrome (CACS) is rarely suspected in this population. We present clinical and sonographic features from a series of 59 patients with this disorder. METHODS: A total of 3449 patients from 0 to 18 years were investigated with 7639 abdominal color duplex sonographic examinations. Celiac artery flow velocity was measured at the branching off from the aorta in inspiration, expiration, and in between. Diagnosis of CACS was made if a greater than 2-fold acceleration of peak systolic flow in the celiac artery compared to the abdominal aorta or a peak systolic velocity greater than 200 cm/s was measured in the mid position and if a variation of flow velocity occurred during respiration. In 22 cases, angiography (21 magnetic resonance angiography and 1 digital subtraction angiography) was used to prove sonographic diagnosis. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients (among them 81% female) from 22 months to 19 years (clustering between 14 and 17 years) fulfilling color Doppler sonographic criteria of CACS were found, for a prevalence of 1.7%. Their symptoms included, among others, abdominal pain (71%), nausea (29%), thoracic pain (22%), heartburn (17%), weight loss (15%), vomiting (15%), systolic murmur (15%), postprandial accentuation of symptoms (15%), diarrhea (14%), respiratory discomfort (14%), and syncope (12%). CONCLUSIONS: Celiac artery compression syndrome is more prevalent than expected, and conditions not usually connected to the disease were found. Alertness to CACS is recommended, especially in patients with a combination of characteristic symptoms. Color Doppler sonography is the modality of choice for diagnosing CACS.     

彩色多普勒超声对糖尿病患者颈动脉粥样硬化斑块的诊断价值

目的 评价彩色多普勒超声对糖尿病患颈动脉粥样硬化斑块的诊断价值。方法 对72例糖尿病患及30例正常人做双侧颈动脉超声检查,测量颈动脉IMT值和血流频谱测值。结果 72例糖尿病患颈动脉IMT值明显增加,颈动脉粥样硬化斑块形成42例,发生率为58．3％,与正常组对比,有明显差异（P＜0．05）。结论 颈动脉硬化斑块与糖尿病有密切相关性。彩色多普勒检测糖尿病患颈动脉粥样硬化斑块形成有重要临床价值,对糖尿病患脑梗塞的预防有积极意义。     

Management of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica

Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica are closely related disorders that affect persons more than 50 years of age and cause substantial morbidity. Patients with giant cell arteritis typically have a localized headache, nonspecific systemic symptoms, temporal artery tenderness and a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The diagnosis is confirmed by characteristic pathologic findings on temporal artery biopsy. Patients with polymyalgia rheumatica usually have similar nonspecific systemic symptoms, proximal muscle pain and stiffness, and an elevated ESR. The diagnosis is based on the clinical findings. Both disorders are treated with corticosteroids: high dosages for giant cell arteritis (prednisone in a dosage of 40 to 60 mg per day) and lower dosages for polymyalgia rheumatica (prednisone in a dosage of 10 to 20 mg per day). Symptom relief in response to treatment is rapid and reinforces the diagnosis. After normalization of the ESR, the corticosteroid is tapered, with the patient monitored closely for symptom recurrence. Most patients require corticosteroid therapy for two to three years and experience one or more treatment complications.     

Sonographic findings in type I glycogen storage disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to document the sonographic appearance and dimensions of the liver and spleen in patients affected by type I glycogen storage disease and to correlate those findings with laboratory data to evaluate the potential role of sonography in diagnosing that disease. METHODS: Fourteen patients (age range, 3-26 years; 10 patients younger than 18 years) with type I glycogen storage disease proved by liver biopsy were studied prospectively with gray-scale sonography, color Doppler sonography, and spectral analysis. The liver, kidneys, spleen, portal system, hepatic veins, and hepatic arteries were evaluated. Laboratory data were correlated with sonographic findings. RESULTS: In 13 (93%), of 14 patients, the liver was enlarged, and in 11 patients (79%), hepatic echogenicity was increased. In 9 patients (64%), both kidneys were enlarged, and in 6 cases (43%), the spleen was enlarged. In all patients, flow in the portal, splenic, and superior mesenteric veins was hepatopetal, and flow in the hepatic veins was triphasic. In 5 patients (36%), both triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were higher than normal. No focal hepatic lesions were identified. Analysis found no significant association between sonographic findings and laboratory data. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent sonographic findings in patients with type I glycogen storage disease were hepatomegaly, increased hepatic echogenicity, and enlarged kidneys. Sonography may help in the diagnosis of type I glycogen storage disease, but a liver biopsy is required for a definitive diagnosis.     

Intracranial collateral pathways assessed by contrast-enhanced three-dimensional transcranial color-coded sonography

Individual parameter settings of the duplex machine and limited insonation angles may influence the visualization of small intracranial vessels in 2-D transcranial color-coded sonography. The aim of our study was the morphologic assessment of intracranial collateral pathways (first auditory area celiac artery, A(1)CA; anterior communicating artery, AComA; first parental generation celiac artery P(1)CA; posterior communicating artery, PComA) using 3-D transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (3-D TCCS) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). A total of 41 patients with large vessel disease and 30 patients who had suffered subarachnoidal hemorrhage (mean age 52 +/- 15 years) were involved. In all patients, angiography was performed within 10 days following 3-D sonography. The patients were investigated with a color-coded duplex system using the power mode. Contrast enhancement was achieved by continuous infusion of a galactose-based echo-enhancer using a perfusor pump. The 3-D system consists of an electromagnet that induces a low-intensity magnetic field near the head of the patient. A magnetic position sensor is attached to the ultrasound (US) probe and transmits the spatial orientation to a personal computer, which also receives the corresponding 2-D images from the video port of the duplex machine. Angiography revealed a "complete" circle of Willis in one third of the patients and, in the remaining patients at least one vessel was hypoplastic or absent. Sufficient temporal bone windows allowed the sonographic investigation of 466 (94%) of 497 expected arterial segments. The comparison of both techniques resulted in a weighted kappa value of 0.56 for the A(1)CA and 0.63 for the AComA. In the posterior circulation kappa values of 0.56 for the P(1)CA and 0.43 for the PComA were calculated. In 50 vessels (10%), 3-D sonography misdiagnosed the diameter of a collateral vessel as normal and angiography revealed hypoplasia or aplasia of this vessel. The main advantage of 3-D TCCS is that it enables the investigator to reconstruct virtually any arbitrary view angle. Compared with angiography or magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, 3-D sonography can be performed easily in critically ill patients on stroke units or intensive care units. The noninvasive assessment of the circle of Willis may be useful in patients who undergo carotid surgery without angiography. Combined with hemodynamic information, contrast-enhanced 3-D TCCS might increase the diagnostic impact of transcranial US.     

彩色多普勒超声诊断大动脉炎外周血管病变的价值

目的 探讨大动脉炎外周血管病变的彩色多普勒超声表现。方法 采用美国惠普公司生产的8500彩色多普勒超声检测仪,探头频率7．5MHz,对50例大动脉炎患者外周血管进行二维超声、彩色及脉冲多普勒超声检测。结果 大动脉炎侵及血管分布：头臂动脉为主38例,其中锁骨下动脉6例;主肾动脉12例,合并血栓形成3例。表现为病变动脉血管管壁增厚,管腔狭窄、闭塞,出现盗血。结论 彩色多普勒超声诊断大动脉炎有确切的价值,应作为临床诊断大动脉炎的首选方法。     

Preoperative imaging of lower extremity varicose veins: color coded duplex sonography or venography.

We prospectively examined 137 limbs in 112 consecutive patients with clinical evidence of severe varicosis by color coded duplex sonography and ascending venography (including varicography in 48 limbs) to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of color coded duplex sonography in the assessment of venous anatomy, variant varicosis, postthrombotic changes, and incompetence of the superficial and perforating venous system. Additionally, descending venography was performed in the first 52 limbs and compared to color coded duplex sonography in the diagnosis of deep and superficial venous reflux. Variant venous anatomy (21 cases) was missed in two limbs and misinterpreted in one limb by ascending venography compared to surgery. Color coded duplex sonography was inconclusive in two cases. Variant varicosis (59 cases) was missed in seven surgically proved cases by venography and in one case by color coded duplex sonography. Color coded duplex sonography was inconclusive in five cases. Ascending venography was slightly superior to color coded duplex sonography in the detection of postphlebitic changes. Good agreement was found between color coded duplex sonography and descending venography in the grading of superficial (k = 0.75) and deep venous reflux (k = 0.79). Excellent agreement was found between ascending venography in the grading of long (k = 0.96) and short (k = 0.94) saphenous vein reflux. More incompetent perforating veins were detected by ascending venography, (and varicography) than by color coded duplex sonography, but the latter technique allows direct preoperative marking of the skin, which is beneficial for the surgeon. We conclude that color coded duplex sonography is a valuable imaging tool before venous stripping and is capable of replacing invasive ascending and descending venography. Only patients with inconclusive color coded duplex sonographic results (e.g., complex variant venous anatomy) should proceed to venography.