Contrast enhanced pulsed Doppler and colour-coded Duplex studies of the cranial vasculature

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Albunex, a vascular contrast agent based on albumin-coated air microbubbles, on pulsed Doppler and colour-coded duplex sonography of the cranial vasculature. Met hods: Twenty healthy male volunteers received intravenous injections of con trast in single doses ranging from 0.08 to 0.30 ml/kg. Pulsed wave Doppler sonography examination and colour-coded duplex sonography were carried out in the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) before and after i.v. contrast. The relative intensity increase of the Dop pler signal was measured in decibels. Results: Transpulmonary passage of co ntrast occurred in sufficient amounts to enhance the intensity of the Doppl er signal significantly, but the duration of this effect was short. Contras t enhancement also improved visualization of both the ICA and MCA in all su bjects. For the transcranial examinations, this resulted in visualization o f a greater length of the middle cerebral arteries and additional vessels i n the Circle of Willis. Conclusions: These results confirm that contrast en hancement can significantly improve the quality of Doppler examination and colour-coded duplex sonography of both the intracranial and extracranial ve ssels. However, the use of Albunex in neurosonology will be of limited valu e due to its relatively short duration, Eur J Neurol 6:443-148 (C) 1999 Lip pincott Williams & Wilkins.