Comparative Study on CDFI and MR Angiography in Carotid Atherosclerosis

Objective To explore the value of color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI) and MR angiography(MRA) in diagnosis of the carotid atherosclerosis.Methods 42 cases with ischemic cerebral infarction(study group),40 cases without cerebrovascular disease(control group) were examined with CDFI and MRA.The internal diameter,the intima-media thickness,the minimal diameter,the plaque,and the stenosis level of the carotid artery were measured with the ultrasound.The internal diameter of the carotid artery and the deficiency of the signal of the abnormal artery were examined with MRA to justify the level of the carotid stenosis.Results The ultrasound examination showed that the incidence of the lesion of the carotid arteries in study group was significantly higher than that in control group(P0.001).The diagnosis of the mild and severe carotid stenosis with MRA and CDFI was the same.One case of vascular occlusion was underestimated as severe stenosis by CDFI.One case of moderate stenosis diagnosed with CDFI was estimated as severe stenosis by MRA.The results of MRA and CDFI were in accord with each other.Conclusion CDFI and MRA are mutually complementary in diagnosing the carotid stenosis.Combining CDFI with MRA can improve the accuracy in evaluating the level of the stenosis.