TRANSCRANIAL COLOR DUPLEX SONOGRAPHY IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE - AGE-DEPENDENCE OF FLOW VELOCITIES AND WAVE-FORM PARAMETERS

Background and Purpose: Transcranial color duplex sonographic examinat ions in children and adolescents without cerebrovascular disease were evaluated retrospectively. Flow velocities and waveform parameters wer e determined and their side-to-side differences and age dependence ana lyzed and, finally compared with analogous data of a previously descri bed group of healthy adults. Methods: With a 2.0-MHz sector transducer of a computed sonographic system, the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries were examined in 64 children and adolescents betwee n 1.5 and 17.5 years of age. Angle-corrected systolic peak, end-diasto lic maximum, time-averaged. and time-averaged maximum velocities, and the resistance, pulsatility, and spectral broadening indexes were dete rmined in all vessels. Results: Mean+/-SD values for time-averaged max imum velocity (and time-averaged velocity) were 92.2+/-13.0, 79.9+/-17 .7, and 63.9+/-13.6 (55.3+/-11.7, 40.4+/-10.4, and 34.2+/-9.2) cm/s, r espectively, in the middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral arteries in children under 10 years of age, values were 83.2+/-11.9, 69.4+/-13. 8, and 55.6+/-10.1 (50.8+/-9.0, 39.9+/-10.5, and 33.1+/-6.3) cm/s, res pectively, in children 10 years of age and older. Time-averaged maximu m velocity decreased significantly with age in all vessels (P<.001). A lthough time-averaged velocity did not change significantly during chi ldhood and adolescence, a clear decline occurred from adolescence to a dulthood (P<.0001 in the middle and posterior cerebral arteries; P<.01 in the anterior cerebral artery). The spectral broadening index decre ased significantly from childhood to adolescence in the anterior and p osterior cerebral arteries (P<.0001). The resistance and pulsatility i ndexes remained stable throughout childhood. Conclusions: Transcranial color duplex sonography allows angle-corrected measurements of ''true '' How velocities in basal cerebral arteries. Additional determination of time-averaged velocity permits more detailed evaluation of flow ch aracteristics for all age groups. The transcranial color duplex techni que may provide deeper insights on normal cerebral perfusion and its d isorders.