[Carotid ultrasonography: evaluation of carotid ultrasonography].

Carotid ultrasonography is a laboratory procedure showing how arteriosclerosis screening can diagnose carotid artery occlusion and high-grade stenosis. It is useful for inspection in general practice because of its non-invasiveness, development of sonography equipment, laboratory methods and the establishment of an evaluation method. We generally use a linear array probe of around 7-8MHz for carotid observation and combine the B mode method, color and power Doppler method, and pulsed Doppler method for inspection. At vessel analysis, the intima-media thickness, the property of plaque and stenotic ratio are evaluated. We observe the direction of bloodstream and presence of stricture by Doppler color flow imaging and measure flow velocity and the wave pattern by pulsed Doppler method and, with the B mode method, evaluate the extent or degree of stricture. This can be depicted well using a convex array probe and sector array probe when the mental change caused by disease is deep, and depiction is difficult by linear array probe.