Use of color-flow imaging technique in carotid artery disease.

Color-flow imaging of the cervical vasculature has several distinct advantages compared with conventional duplex scanning: it facilitates identification of the carotid artery, its bifurcation, branches, and other cervical vessels, especially the vertebral arteries; decreases the time required for longitudinal surveys; aids in the recognition of kinks, coils, and occluded vessels; evaluates flow simultaneously in large areas and multiple vessels; and focuses attention on sites of flow disturbance. Although many problems remain, color-flow imaging represents a powerful new tool for the diagnosis and physiologic assessment of extracranial cerebrovascular disease.