[Non-invasive study of hemodynamics in peripheral arteries by pulsed Doppler associated with bidimensional echography. A preliminary study].

The purpose of this study is the validation of a 2D-echography and range-gated system to measure internal diameter, and instantaneous blood flow velocity, and to calculate the blood flow, in peripheral arteries (i.e. common carotid artery, femoral artery, and humeral artery). The artery is first visualized using the echographic array probe, its internal diameter (D) is determined and its cross sectional area (S) calculated; the array of the ultrasonic system and the doppler probe are attached and forme a fixed angle. The range-gated doppler system allows the measurement of instantaneous blood flow velocity, with a position of the sample volume covering the internal diameter. Instantaneous velocities are integrated on several cardiac cycles to calculate the mean velocity (Vm). (S. Vm) measures the blood flow. The echographic array probe allows a control of the doppler beam position. In vitro velocities have been measured (N = 20). The fixed angle is 38 degrees 30'; there is an obvious relationship between the calculated and the measured velocities (r = 0.982; p less than 0.0001). The intra-observer reproducibility of measures on common carotid arteries (CCA), femoral arteries (FA), and humeral arteries (HA). In 7 normal patients is, respectively: diameters: (4.9%, 4.12%, 10.2%); velocities: (8.9%, 10.6%, 10.2%). The inter-observers reproducibility is respectively: diameters: (5.6%, 5.4%, 11.4%); velocities: (6.5%, 5.7%, 6.3%). The comparison of 11 measures of diameters and velocities with 20 range-gated doppler gives an obvious relationship (respectively, r = 0.99 p less than 0.0001, r = 0.996, p less than 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)