Colour Doppler flow imaging of the superior ophthalmic vein in dural arteriovenous fistulas before and after surgery

The aim of this study was to examine the clinical significance of the colou r Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) findings of the superior ophthalmic vein (SOV ) in intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF). The SOV was examined by CDFI in 12 cases of DAVF before and after surgery. Before surgery, the average SOV diameter was 3.57 +/- 1.18 mm (mean +/- standard deviation, whi ch was significantly wide (P < 0.05) compared with the control value. One c ase showed reversed flow. Four cases showed an abnormal waveform. The cases with the more severe clinical symptoms showed wider SOV diameters and more abnormal waveforms than those with mild clinical symptoms, Postoperatively , the mean SOV diameter and mean resistance index improved significantly (P < 0.05); the flow direction and waveform became normal in each. The SOV CD FI findings were found to be useful as screening and follow-up techniques f or the intracranial DAVFs, (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.