Duplex ultrasound is a useful investigation to diagnose and evaluate dissection in cervical carotid artery or extracranial vertebral artery because it can give specific findings of dissection with sufficient sensitivity, which include intramural hematoma, false lumen, intimal flap or pseudoaneurysm. The sensitivity of ultrasound for assessing cervical artery dissections is about 70-96% in the literature. Ultrasound is the most practical method for monitoring of hemodynamics in dissection and follow-up investigations to detect recurrent dissections. Consequently, all patients with clinical suspicion of cervical artery dissections can undergo duplex ultrasound which is useful for noninvasive and quick diagnosis, monitoring of recanalization and recurrence, and treatment strategies.
Journal of Neurosonology 7(1):1-5, 2015
Key Words: Duplex ultrasound, Cervical artery dissection, Internal carotid artery, Vertebral artery