Improved accuracy of cerebral vascular noninvasive testing using combined methods.

An analysis of 110 consecutive patients undergoing bilateral selective carotid arteriograms and phonoangiography, periorbital Doppler examination and air-filled pressure oculoplethysmography demonstrates that combined testing gives a 98 per cent accuracy rate in diagnosing the presence or absence of carotid artery stenosis in 83 of 100 patients with carotid artery stenosis and in 84 of 120 normal patients. The remaining patients had only one abnormal test result, either an abnormal phonoangiogram, 40 per cent probability of carotid artery stenosis, or an abnormal periorbital Doppler study, 12.5 per cent probability.