Nonatherosclerotic disease of the cervical arteries: Role of ultrasonography for diagnosis

On the basis of morphological and hemodynamic criteria, color-coded duplex sonography enables diagnostic evaluation of non-atheromatous lesions of the cervical arteries. Ultrasonography is the method of first choice for Takay asu's arteritis, radiation angiopathy, and common carotid artery dissection s. Internal carotid and vertebral artery, dissections are detected in lip t o 95% and 79%, respectively; in some of these cases, however, ultrasonograp hy delivers unspecific findings so that dissections call only be confirmed when typical clinical symptoms are present, too. Detection of vasospasms of the cranial arteries is extremely difficult, on account of their tendency for rapid regression; however; sonography is in principle a suitable method . In cases of fibromuscular dysplasia ultrasound has furnished less positiv e results oil account of the unfavourable localisation for duplex sonograph y. As the disease has a relatively good prognosis, only symptomatic cases n eed to be detected. On the whole, sonography is a suitable method for the d iagnosis of nonatherosclerotic diseases of the cervical arteries.