471-26 | Is External Carotid Artery Hemodynamics Helpful in Detecting Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis-471-26

471-26

Pdf Summary

This research article published in the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound explores the relationship between external carotid artery (ECA) hemodynamics and internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. The study aimed to determine the correlation between ECA peak systolic velocity (PSV) and the severity of ICA stenosis as seen on confirmatory imaging, as well as to establish the relationship between ECA hemodynamics and known ICA disease. <br /><br />The researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) and confirmatory testing such as angiography, CT angiography (CTA), or MR angiography (MRA). They analyzed ECA PSVs and the degree of ECA and ICA stenosis from the same CDU study. <br /><br />The study included 136 carotid arteries in the final analysis. The researchers found that ECA PSV moderately correlated with the degree of ECA stenosis as determined by confirmatory imaging. They also found a statistically significant correlation between the maximum ICA PSV and the corresponding ECA PSV.<br /><br />Furthermore, the study identified statistically significant differences in ECA PSV between diseased ICAs (grades 1-3) and non-diseased ICAs (grade 0). The study demonstrated that ECA PSV could differentiate between diseased and non-diseased ICAs.<br /><br />The researchers concluded that ECA hemodynamics could potentially be used to predict ICA disease and serve as an adjunct in cases where the ICA cannot be adequately visualized or when CDU interpretation is equivocal. However, the study had some limitations, including a small sample size of diseased vessels and the retrospective nature of the analysis.<br /><br />Overall, the research suggests that ECA hemodynamics may have clinical value in the diagnosis and prediction of ICA stenosis, but further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings and establish standardized criteria for ECA hemodynamics.

Keywords

external carotid artery

ECA hemodynamics

internal carotid artery

ICA stenosis

peak systolic velocity

confirmatory imaging

carotid duplex ultrasound

angiography

CT angiography

MR angiography