Carotid endarterectomy: preoperative evaluation of candidates with combined Doppler sonography and MR angiography. Work in progress.

Doppler sonography and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography were prospectively used in combination as a substitute for conventional angiography in 24 consecutive patients likely to undergo carotid endarterectomy. Of 19 patients (20 lesions) who underwent carotid endarterectomy, 18 had not undergone preoperative angiography. High-grade lesions (> 75%-diameter stenosis) were surgically confirmed in 16; a 60%-70% stenosis, in one; and subtotal occlusion of the internal carotid artery, in another. Angiography was performed in a case of suspected internal carotid artery dissection. In the five nonsurgical cases, no significant stenosis was noted with both techniques in two instances, total occlusion was seen in two cases, and an asymptomatic stenosis was seen in one. Follow-up (average, 4.5 months) showed one case of symptomatic occlusion of the internal carotid artery after endarterectomy. This preliminary study suggests that the combined use of Doppler sonography and MR angiography can, in up to 79% (15 of 19) of cases, replace angiography for the preoperative evaluation of patients likely to need carotid endarterectomy.