[Noninvasive screening of cerebral death by Doppler sonography (author's transl)].

Directional Doppler sonography of the supratrochlear and extracranial cerebral arteries was performed on 16 patients without any cerebral flow, as confirmed angiographically. The findings were inconsistent for the supratrochlear artery, but the internal carotid and vertebral arteries had characteristic changes in the Doppler curve with clearly diminished systolic flow velocity and flow reversal during diastole. These results were never seen in arteriosclerotic occlusion, hypoxaemic or toxic cerebral oedema. Doppler sonography thus helps to formulate indications for early cerebral angiography.