DETECTION OF CEREBRAL EMBOLI BY TRANSCRAN IAL DOPPLER

Cerebral emboli, regardless of their nature, can be detected by transc ranial Doppler by performing long-term recordings of the middle cerebr al artery. The signals detected, called HITS (high intensity transient signals) described in vitro and in vivo have particular physical char acteristics. These embolic signals have been identified in patients wi th prosthetic heart valves, in patients with atrial fibrillation, foll owing myocardial infarction, folowing cerebrovascular accident, in pat ients with carotid stenosis or aortic plaques, during cardiac and caro tid surgery and during carotid angiography. During assessment of a cer ebrovascular accident, the discovery of HITS could be an argument in f avour of an embolic origin. This new technique raises great hopes for establishing the relationship between the discovery of emboligenic hea rt disease and their neurological clinical manifestations. This new te chnique has many fields of application: investigation of asymptomatic emboli in patients with emboligenic heart disease, efficacy of antiagg regant, anticoagulant or surgical treatments.