The Doppler method is based on the study of the walls of blood vessels using ultrasound, ultrasound is reflected from the red blood cells and makes it possible to analyze even very small arteries and veins. Transcranial dopplerography covers the study of cerebral circulation with the help of this method and is one of the cheapest, informative and fastest methods of establishing a diagnosis.
What will show transcranial dopplerography of cerebral vessels?
Transcranial dopplerography of the vessels of the head makes it possible to trace the following indices:
- diameter of the main blood vessels;
- wall thickness;
- blood flow rate;
- amount of blood passage;
- various resistance factors - with pulsating motion, wall roughness;
- atherosclerosis and the degree of its neglect;
- phase and nature of blood flow;
- symmetry of blood flow from different sides of the head;
- systolic speed;
- degree of stenosis .
It is worth noting that in the study, the device for performing dopplerography demonstrates movement along the main, rather large arteries and veins. Small vessels of the brain can not be studied because of the large thickness of the walls of the skull. The sensors are installed in the thinnest places - above the eyebrows, at the temples and just below the occipital part of the head.
The reason to undergo transcranial ultrasonic dopplerography is such factors:
- frequent dizziness and headaches;
- strokes , heart attacks, increased thrombosis;
- loss of some speech function;
- appearance of blind spots and visual impairment;
- loss of hearing, smell and adequate perception of the taste characteristics of products;
- confusion of memories and thoughts;
- loss of orientation ability in space and much more.
How is transcranial ultrasound Doppler?
The procedure of transcranial dopplerography, or tkdg, as it is usually called by medical staff, is quite simple: the patient will be asked to lie down, the sonologist will sit at the back of his neck and install the sensors of the device in the right places. During the examination, the scalp will be covered with a special gel and will slowly scan the vessels. For each of them has its own individual characteristics, they must be installed, recorded and checked with the norm for each specific area of the brain. Usually, all information is not transferred to the neurologist, the sonologist records only those data that go beyond the norm. On average, the procedure takes from 30 minutes to an hour.