Transcranial Doppler assessment of patients with cerebral small vessel disease

• Main Authors: Mahmoud H Ebrahim, Salma H M. Khalil, Mohamed M T. Elbaghdady, Alaa Ebrahim Ata Ata Shaaban
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2019-01-01
• Series: Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research
• Subjects: cerebral small vessel disease; intracerebral circulation; transcranial doppler
• Online Access: http://www.jmsr.eg.net/article.asp?issn=2537-091X;year=2019;volume=2;issue=1;spage=75;epage=82;aulast=Ebrahim

Background Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) refers to any pathology in all vascular structures (small arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and small veins). Transcranial Doppler is a bedside, inexpensive, noninvasive technique that can assess intracerebral circulation in real time and can be used for continuous monitoring. Aim of the work Our study tried to detect the pathogenesis of cerebral SVD, especially the implication of the cerebral large artery disease. Moreover, it assessed the ability of transcranial Doppler in evaluating the severity of cerebral SVD and people who are at risk. Patients with cardioembolic risk were excluded. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted including 50 patients recruited from El-Sahel Teaching Hospitals, either inpatient or outpatient clinic departments. Results We proved a relation between cerebral large artery disease and severity of cerebral SVD but not embolic in nature. Conclusion There is a relationship between cerebral large artery disease and severity of cerebral SVD, but we cannot hold microemboli as a pathogenesis of cerebral SVD. In addition, cerebral SVD affects cerebral vasomotor reactivity especially in hypertensive patients, so we can use Breath-Holding Index (BHI) for prediction of occurrence of cerebral SVD in high-risk people, especially hypertensive.