ACCURACY OF DUPLEX SONOGRAPHY BEFORE CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY - A COMPARISON WITH ANGIOGRAPHY

Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to contribute to the evaluation of the reliability of Duplex sonography (DS) before caroti d endarterectomy (CEA). Design: The study was performed prospectively in a university hospital setting. Methods: Eighty-one consecutive pati ents aged 49-83 years were examined with DS and carotid angiography (G AG) before CEA. The results of the DS were judged as either confident, or CAG was assessed to be necessary preoperatively. The results from the DS and the CAG were then compared. Results: DS was judged as confi dent in 148 of the 162 arteries examined. In none of these 148 arterie s did CAG change patient management in any way, and the agreement agre ement between DS and CAG was good. In the remaining 14 arteries CAG wa s judged necessary, in 11 arteries because DS assessed the internal ca rotid artery (ICA) as occluded, which was confirmed by CAG in 10 arter ies. In three arteries the reason uas poor quality of the DS, however these three arteries were correctly assessed as severely diseased. Con clusions: This study confirms that DS alone is sufficient in the preop erative preoperative before CEA, provided that CAG is performed whenev er DS shows occlusion of the ICA, or when the quality of the DS is poo r.