Functional anatomy of extracranial arteries in occlusive vascular diseases by direct continuous wave Doppler sonography.

Doppler sonography of supratrochlear and neck arteries permits a determination of the direction and speed of flow. By compression of distal branches, the external carotid artery can be recognized, the occipital artery can be distinguished from the vertebral, and the direction of flow in the supratrochlear artery can be ascertained regardless of the artery's coiling. Compression of the arm can reveal subclavian steal. In order to localize a stenosis the vessel is followed by the probe. The accuracy of Doppler sonography is approximately 96%, and while the method may miss the diagnosis of slight stenoses and ulcerations, it nevertheless appears to be superior to all other indirect, noninvasive techniques that are currently available.