[Complementary echo flow imaging and digital angiography in the supra-aortic area for indication and intervention of carotid revascularization in 1587 subjects in the OPI (Stroke Prevention) program].

The availability of non invasive carotid ultrasound imaging techniques actually allows planning and carrying on of large screening programs for detection of atherosclerotic carotid occlusive disease. The aim of non invasive ultrasound patient selection is to limit the practice of invasive carotid angiography only to patients for whom carotid endarterectomy is likely to be a therapeutic choice. PURPOSE. Testing the efficacy of sequential use of color coded echo flow imaging (echo color Doppler: ECD) and arterial digital angiography (ADA) respectively in the second and third phases of a screening program for detection and treatment of carotid occlusive disease in a resident population (OPI program). METHODS. From January 29th 1990 through March 31st 1992, 1,587 subjects underwent ECD out of 16,379 subjects that participated in the first level investigations. 404 of these (25.5%) were affected with carotid occlusive disease, 271 (17%) had inframural non stenosing carotid lesions and 228 (14.3%) carotid kinkings. At ECD, 71 showed lesions as severe as to be susceptible of surgical operation and underwent ADA. The percentage of carotid stenosis was calculated on the ADA imagins, applying the method suggested by the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial. RESULTS. Overall sensitivity and specificity of ECD versus ADA were 94% and 95.2% respectively. Cases in which ECD overestimated the lesion as compared to ADA results were recorded as false positive, while cases in which ECD underestimated the lesion were recorded as false negative. CONCLUSIONS. Both ultrasound imaging and ADA are useful in screening programs for carotid occlusive disease: informations different and complementary to the definition of the lesions can be obtained from each procedures in subsequent phases. Morphologic findings of carotid ECD are essentially consistent with ADA, thus allowing to carry on safely non invasive long-term follow-up programs for operated subjects as well as for people bearing carotid lesions originally not susceptible of surgical treatment.