Pulsed Doppler imaging for carotid artery disease.

Ultrasonic imaging using a six-channel pulsed Doppler system combined with Doppler spectral analysis of 65 carotid bifurcations has been studied in a prospective clinical trial. The results were compared with X-ray contrast angiography. An overall sensitivity in excess of 90 per cent was achieved using the ultrasound technique, with a specificity of 89 per cent in the detection of significant stenosis or occlusion of the internal carotid artery. The ability to recognise significant arterial stenosis with a non-invasive system suggests that it has a major part to play in screening patients with suspected carotid artery disease.