Non-invasive evaluation of prosthetic dialysis shunts in asymptomatic patients.

A prospective study was done in 16 asymptomatic patients on chronic haemodialysis after implantation of a PTFE vascular access. A high percentage (50%) of these grafts turned out to be stenotic somewhere along their course. All these stenoses were detected by real-time ultrasound (accuracy 100%). Accuracy for Doppler examination was less, being 95% for spectral broadening and 98% for increased systolic peak flow frequency. So real-time ultrasound with or without Doppler examination is the preferable method for early detection of stenosis in PTFE dialysis shunts in asymptomatic patients.