Image Guidance for Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography

Abstract

Image guidance can be applied easily and efficiently to TCD. It provides anatomic orientation and may help to standardize investigation protocols, define pathological vascular territories for repeat investigations, and thus reduce interinvestigator variations. Image guidance may also extend the use of TCD to situations of a pathological or variant vascular anatomy.

Clinical value of black-blood high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging for intracranial atherosclerotic plaques

“…However, DSA requires the administration of a significant dose of radiation, and the DSA method can result in embolus detachment, which may inadvertently cause cerebral infarction. Therefore, the clinical applications of DSA are limited (9). MRA possesses a number of advantages, including non-invasiveness, no requirement for radiation, a high distinguishing capacity in soft tissues and the possibility of multiparameter comparison and imaging (10).…”

Theory and Practice of MRA-Guided Transcranial Doppler Sonography

“…Similarly then, MRA-guided TCD can reduce search times dramatically and improve examiner anatomical orientation (Kantelhardt et al, 2011) with several examples commercially packages available 2 : Kolibri navigation system (Softouch, Brainlab AG), Brainsight 2 (Rogue Research). Once the images are collected and downloaded into the guidance software, a threshold-based segmentation of the arteries from the surrounding tissue and three-dimensional reconstruction must be performed ( Figure 1).…”

“…There are limited number of examples in the literature exist that attempted to address the problem of TCD guidance (Auer et al, 1999;Kantelhardt et al, 2011). A recent study looked at neurological patients with various forms of head trauma using computerized tomography of the basal cerebral arterial architecture (Kantelhardt et al, 2011 basal cerebral vessels given visualized anatomical references.…”

“…A recent study looked at neurological patients with various forms of head trauma using computerized tomography of the basal cerebral arterial architecture (Kantelhardt et al, 2011 basal cerebral vessels given visualized anatomical references. Incredibly, subsequent examination times on the same patient were reduced by approximately 50%.…”

“…A way to overcome this physical barrier is achieved by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) which, when coupled with existing neuronavigation systems (Gronningsaeter et al, 2000;Mathiesen et al, 2007), can provide an effective means to help direct the TCD probe. While there are other imaging modalities in available (e.g., CT), MRA is a non-invasive method that does not emit ionizing radiation nor does it require contrast agents (Kantelhardt et al, 2011).…”