IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTERIAL PRESSURE VALUE FOR DOPPLER ASSESSMENT OF CAROTID STENOSES

Zasorin S.V., Koulikov V.P.
Chair of Pathophysiology, Functional and Ultrasonographic Diagnosis Altai State Medical University of the Russian Health Ministry,
Barnaul, Russia

Many centres appear to perform carotid endarterectomy solely based on the findings of duplex scanning. There are two fundamental methods aimed at assessing the stenosis degree during an ultrasonographic study, i. е., planimetric examination and Doppler ultrasonography. Doppler ultrasonographic criteria have an independent significance when the assessment of the stenosis degree in the ultrasonographic B-mode is complicated. However, the currently available guidelines on haemodynamic assessment of the stenosis degree are solely based on the parameters of local blood flow without taking into consideration the state of central haemodynamics. The present study has shown that blood flow in the region of stenosis of the internal carotid arteries (ICAs) depends not only on the stenosis degree but on the value of systemic arterial pressure (AP) at examination. Based on the obtained findings, we worked out Doppler ultrasonographic criteria for ICA stenosis degree «by the area» corrected for the value of systemic AP. It was determined that using pulse AP increases their prognostic efficiency.

KEY WORDS: atherosclerosis, stenosis, internal carotid artery, blood flow, arterial pressure, ultrasonographic duplex scanning, carotid endarterectomy.

P. 47-56

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