[The value of color duplex for sonography of the vertebral artery].

The prognosis of patients with carotid artery disease in combination with symptoms of vertebrobasilar TIA is worse than that of patients with single carotid territory transient ischemic attacks. We investigated 30 patients with stenosis or occlusion of the carotid arteries into two groups. All patients underwent color duplex imaging of the vertebral artery between the transverse processes of the cervical spine (pars costotransversaria). Diameter, systolic and diastolic velocities were measured. Nearly all patients with clinical signs of vertebrobasilar TIA showed a stenosis or a hypoplasia of vertebral artery in addition to carotid artery disease.