Echo-enhanced duplex sonography of extracranial vertebral arteries.

We sought to investigate the potential benefit in examining extracranial vertebral arteries (ExVA) with an echo contrast agent. A total of 26 patients with insufficiently assessable ExVA underwent extracranial duplex sonography without and with an echo contrast medium. All examinations were recorded and analysed independently by two experienced sonographers.

Continuous administration of contrast medium for transcranial colour-coded sonography.

Since the introduction of contrast media, transcranial colour-coded sonography (TCCS) has become increasingly important for examination of the intracranial vessels. However, the widely practised bolus injection of these agents leads to initial blooming artefacts and thereafter the level of contrast enhancement decreases rapidly, reducing the effective time of enhancement. It was our aim to investigate the effect of continuous administration of contrast medium at a defined infusion rate.