A STUDY ON CORRELATION OF COLOUR DOPPLER AND MRI IN PATIENT OF CEREBROVASCULAR STROKE

Abstract

Background: Many efforts have been made to correlate symptoms and cerebral events with Colour Doppler and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The present study was conducted with an objective to find the correlation between carotid doppler suggesting plaques and MRI of those patients suggesting arterial ischemia/infarction.

Methodology: The present cross-sectional study conducted on cases of acute arterial ischemia as suggested by MRI. After stabilization of cases, thorough gray scale examination on Carotid Doppler was done for intima media thickness, presence, location and characterization of plaques were assessed. Spectral Doppler analysis was done and measurements of Peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity were obtained on a frozen image.

Results: Out of 100 patients of stroke, 61 % were males and 39 % were females. There were minor differences in percentage of <50%, 50-69% and 70 or more stenosis detected by colour doppler as compared to gray scale. Sixteen percent of stroke patients had no stenosis on carotid doppler evaluation. Sensitivity of presence of carotid stenosis in stroke patients was 84%. While 75% of patients with <50 % stenosis had small infarct on MRI brain, just 30% of patients with >50% stenosis had small infarct. Seventy percent of patients with >50% stenosis had large infarct on MRI brain while only 25% of patients with <50% stenosis had large infarct.

Conclusion: The present study has shown that Carotid Doppler is an important non invasive diagnostic tool which can be used for screening in high risk asymptomatic patients, patients with history of cerebrovascular events.