Transcranial doppler sonography and CT angiography in patients with atherothrombotic middle cerebral artery stroke.

Abstract

In this population, CTA is superior to TCD sonography in the diagnosis of MCA disease. Abnormal TCD results are highly suggestive of MCA stenosis. However, normal TCD findings do not exclude such lesions, especially in patients with distal M1 or M2 disease. Because distal M1 and M2 disease was found in half of our patients, TCD sonography should not be used as a method to screen for MCA stenosis.