Transcranial colour-coded Doppler sonography of cerebral aneurysms - Morphological comparison with angiography

We compared the results of transcranial colour-coded Doppler sonography with angiographic findings in assessing cerebral aneurysms. We studied 12 patients with cerebral aneurysms from one to eight days after subarachnoid haemorrhage. Investigations were performed with colour-Doppler, power-Doppler and in two cases also with sonographic contrast administration using a 2.5 MHz transcranial sector probe. Diagnosis had already been made by selective angiography. Satisfactory display of the aneurysms and relations with the parent artery were obtained in all patients. The aneurysm measurements were in agreement with angiographic determinations, whereas morphological data were discordant in four cases The inflow and outflow and spectral analysis of intra-aneurysmal flow were possible in six patients. In agreement with literature reports, our findings suggest that transcranial colour-coded Doppler sonography is a highly specific but poorly sensitive method. Sensitivity increases using sonographic contrast administration. The method is potentially useful for follow-up after surgery or endovascular treatment.