Non-invasive Doppler ultrasonographic study of cerebral arteries [transcranial Doppler(TCD)] has been extensively applied on both outpatient and inpatient settings. It is performed placing a low-frequency(≤ 2 MHz) tr...Non-invasive Doppler ultrasonographic study of cerebral arteries [transcranial Doppler(TCD)] has been extensively applied on both outpatient and inpatient settings. It is performed placing a low-frequency(≤ 2 MHz) transducer on the scalp of the patient over specific acoustic windows, in order to visualize the intracranial arterial vessels and to evaluate the cerebral blood flow velocity and its alteration in many different conditions. Nowadays the most widespread indication for TCD in outpatient setting is the research of right to left shunting, responsable of so called "paradoxical embolism", most often due to patency of foramen ovale which is responsable of the majority of cryptogenic strokes occuring in patients younger than 55 years old. TCD also allows to classify the grade of severity of such shunts using the so called "microembolic signal grading score". In addition TCD has found many useful applications in neurocritical care practice. It is useful on both adults and children for day-to-day bedside assessment of critical conditions including vasospasm in subarachnoidal haemorrhage(caused by aneurysm rupture or traumatic injury), traumatic brain injury, brain stem death. It is used also to evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes after stroke. It also allows to investigate cerebral pressure autoregulation and for the clinical evaluation of cerebral autoregulatory reserve.展开更多
BACKGROUND Patent foramen ovale(PFO)-related right-to-left shunts(RLSs)have been impli-cated in cryptogenic stroke and migraine,with larger shunts posing a higher risk.When used individually to detect RLS,contrast tra...BACKGROUND Patent foramen ovale(PFO)-related right-to-left shunts(RLSs)have been impli-cated in cryptogenic stroke and migraine,with larger shunts posing a higher risk.When used individually to detect RLS,contrast transcranial Doppler(cTCD)and contrast transthoracic echocardiography(cTTE)may yield false-negative results.Further,the literature exposes gaps regarding the understanding of the limitations of cTCD and cTTE,presents conflicting recommendations on their exclusive use,and highlights inefficiencies associated with nonsynchronous testing.AIM To investigate the accuracy of multimodal ultrasound to improve diagnostic efficiency in detecting PFO-related RLSs.METHODS We prospectively enrolled four patients with cryptogenic stroke(n=1),migraine(n=2),and unexplained dizziness(n=1)who underwent synchronized cTCD combined with cTTE.The participants were monitored and followed-up for 24 months.RESULTS cTTE identified moderate and large RLSs in patients with recurrent cryptogenic stroke and migraines,whereas cTCD revealed only small RLSs.Moderate and large RLS were confirmed on combined cTTE and cTCD.After excluding other causes,both patients underwent PFO occlusion.At 21-and 24-month follow-up examinations,neither stroke nor migraine had recurred.cTTE revealed a small RLS in a third patient with unexplained dizziness and a fourth patient with migraines;however,simultaneous cTCD detected a large RLS.These patients did not undergo interventional occlusion,and dizziness and headache recurred at the 17-and 24-month follow-up examin-ations.CONCLUSION Using cTTE or cTCD may underestimate RLS,impairing risk assessments.Combining synchronized cTCD with cTTE could enhance testing accuracy and support better diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Latest researches at home and abroad indicate that glycerol trinitrate plays its function because it can metabolize into nitrogen monoxide (NO) in vivo. OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of N...BACKGROUND: Latest researches at home and abroad indicate that glycerol trinitrate plays its function because it can metabolize into nitrogen monoxide (NO) in vivo. OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of NO vector of ultrasonic atomizing inhalation on vertebro-basilar artery insufficiency (VBI) through transcranial Doppler (TCD) detection and serum NO content and indirect effect of TCD on cerebral blood flow changes. DESIGN: Randomized grouping and controlled clinical study. SETTING: Department of Neurology, the Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 130 patients who were diagnosed as VBI were selected from Department of Neurology, the Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan from December 2001 to December 2005. The involved inpatients were checked by CT and MRI, and met the VBI diagnostic standard enacted by the Fourth National Academic Meeting of Cerebrovascular Disease in 1995. All patients and their relatives provided the confumed consent. They were randomly divided into low-dose treatment group (n =60), high-lose treatment group (n =30) and control group (n =40). METHODS: Patients in the low-dose and high-dose treatment groups were given ultrasonic atomizing inhalation of 3 mg and 5 mg glycerol trinitrate, respectively, for 20 minutes, once a day. In addition, ligustrazine and energy mixture were used once a day for three days in a course. Cases in the control group were only given ligustrazine and energy mixture. All selected cases accepted TCD, blood NO content was checked at the time of beginning, after the first time and after a period of treatment. According to the TCD test, VBI patients were divided into two groups (high-low flow velocity). The vertebral artery (VA) and basal artery (BA) of left or right sides were detected by 2 Hz detector via occipital window. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Blood flow velocity of systolic phase, blood flow velocity of diastole phase and vascular resistance in left and right VA and BA detected by using TCD before treatment, after treatment for one course; ②content of serum NO indirectly measured by using nitric acid disoxidation technique. RESULTS: All 130 VBI patients were involved in the final analysis. ①Changes of hemodynamic indexes: Systolic phase of VA and diastole phase of BA were higher in low-dose treatment group than that in the control group after first treatment, and there was significant difference (P 〈 0.05); meanwhile, systolic phase and diastole phase of VA and systolic phase of BA were also higher in treatment group than that in the control group after one course (P 〈 0.05). However, both systolic phase and diastole phase of VA and BA were lower in high-dose treatment group than that in the control group after first treatment and one course, and there was significant difference (P 〈 0.05). ②Content of serum NO: After first treatment, there was no significant difference between low-dose treatment group and high-dose treatment group (P 〉 0.05); but both groups were higher than control group, and there was significant difference (P 〈 0.05, 0.01). CONCLUSION: NO vector of ultrasonic atomizing inhalation can improve VBI so as to improve cerebral blood-supply state.展开更多
文摘Non-invasive Doppler ultrasonographic study of cerebral arteries [transcranial Doppler(TCD)] has been extensively applied on both outpatient and inpatient settings. It is performed placing a low-frequency(≤ 2 MHz) transducer on the scalp of the patient over specific acoustic windows, in order to visualize the intracranial arterial vessels and to evaluate the cerebral blood flow velocity and its alteration in many different conditions. Nowadays the most widespread indication for TCD in outpatient setting is the research of right to left shunting, responsable of so called "paradoxical embolism", most often due to patency of foramen ovale which is responsable of the majority of cryptogenic strokes occuring in patients younger than 55 years old. TCD also allows to classify the grade of severity of such shunts using the so called "microembolic signal grading score". In addition TCD has found many useful applications in neurocritical care practice. It is useful on both adults and children for day-to-day bedside assessment of critical conditions including vasospasm in subarachnoidal haemorrhage(caused by aneurysm rupture or traumatic injury), traumatic brain injury, brain stem death. It is used also to evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes after stroke. It also allows to investigate cerebral pressure autoregulation and for the clinical evaluation of cerebral autoregulatory reserve.
基金Supported by The Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital Clinical Research Fund of the Shenzhen High-level Hospital Construction Project,No.20223357021 and No.20243357001Research Project of Teaching Reform in Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital,No.202209Guangdong Province Basic and Applied Basic Research Fund Project,No.2020B1515120061.
文摘BACKGROUND Patent foramen ovale(PFO)-related right-to-left shunts(RLSs)have been impli-cated in cryptogenic stroke and migraine,with larger shunts posing a higher risk.When used individually to detect RLS,contrast transcranial Doppler(cTCD)and contrast transthoracic echocardiography(cTTE)may yield false-negative results.Further,the literature exposes gaps regarding the understanding of the limitations of cTCD and cTTE,presents conflicting recommendations on their exclusive use,and highlights inefficiencies associated with nonsynchronous testing.AIM To investigate the accuracy of multimodal ultrasound to improve diagnostic efficiency in detecting PFO-related RLSs.METHODS We prospectively enrolled four patients with cryptogenic stroke(n=1),migraine(n=2),and unexplained dizziness(n=1)who underwent synchronized cTCD combined with cTTE.The participants were monitored and followed-up for 24 months.RESULTS cTTE identified moderate and large RLSs in patients with recurrent cryptogenic stroke and migraines,whereas cTCD revealed only small RLSs.Moderate and large RLS were confirmed on combined cTTE and cTCD.After excluding other causes,both patients underwent PFO occlusion.At 21-and 24-month follow-up examinations,neither stroke nor migraine had recurred.cTTE revealed a small RLS in a third patient with unexplained dizziness and a fourth patient with migraines;however,simultaneous cTCD detected a large RLS.These patients did not undergo interventional occlusion,and dizziness and headache recurred at the 17-and 24-month follow-up examin-ations.CONCLUSION Using cTTE or cTCD may underestimate RLS,impairing risk assessments.Combining synchronized cTCD with cTTE could enhance testing accuracy and support better diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.
文摘BACKGROUND: Latest researches at home and abroad indicate that glycerol trinitrate plays its function because it can metabolize into nitrogen monoxide (NO) in vivo. OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of NO vector of ultrasonic atomizing inhalation on vertebro-basilar artery insufficiency (VBI) through transcranial Doppler (TCD) detection and serum NO content and indirect effect of TCD on cerebral blood flow changes. DESIGN: Randomized grouping and controlled clinical study. SETTING: Department of Neurology, the Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 130 patients who were diagnosed as VBI were selected from Department of Neurology, the Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan from December 2001 to December 2005. The involved inpatients were checked by CT and MRI, and met the VBI diagnostic standard enacted by the Fourth National Academic Meeting of Cerebrovascular Disease in 1995. All patients and their relatives provided the confumed consent. They were randomly divided into low-dose treatment group (n =60), high-lose treatment group (n =30) and control group (n =40). METHODS: Patients in the low-dose and high-dose treatment groups were given ultrasonic atomizing inhalation of 3 mg and 5 mg glycerol trinitrate, respectively, for 20 minutes, once a day. In addition, ligustrazine and energy mixture were used once a day for three days in a course. Cases in the control group were only given ligustrazine and energy mixture. All selected cases accepted TCD, blood NO content was checked at the time of beginning, after the first time and after a period of treatment. According to the TCD test, VBI patients were divided into two groups (high-low flow velocity). The vertebral artery (VA) and basal artery (BA) of left or right sides were detected by 2 Hz detector via occipital window. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Blood flow velocity of systolic phase, blood flow velocity of diastole phase and vascular resistance in left and right VA and BA detected by using TCD before treatment, after treatment for one course; ②content of serum NO indirectly measured by using nitric acid disoxidation technique. RESULTS: All 130 VBI patients were involved in the final analysis. ①Changes of hemodynamic indexes: Systolic phase of VA and diastole phase of BA were higher in low-dose treatment group than that in the control group after first treatment, and there was significant difference (P 〈 0.05); meanwhile, systolic phase and diastole phase of VA and systolic phase of BA were also higher in treatment group than that in the control group after one course (P 〈 0.05). However, both systolic phase and diastole phase of VA and BA were lower in high-dose treatment group than that in the control group after first treatment and one course, and there was significant difference (P 〈 0.05). ②Content of serum NO: After first treatment, there was no significant difference between low-dose treatment group and high-dose treatment group (P 〉 0.05); but both groups were higher than control group, and there was significant difference (P 〈 0.05, 0.01). CONCLUSION: NO vector of ultrasonic atomizing inhalation can improve VBI so as to improve cerebral blood-supply state.