The cerebrovascular Doppler examination in patients with non-hemispheric symptoms.

The cerebrovascular Doppler examination indicated a significant stenosis in only 19 of 53 patients with non-hemispheric TIA'S. There were no false negative or false positive examinations. Fourteen of 19 patients with an abnormal examination and 23 of 31 patients with a normal examination became asymptomatic after a carotid endarterectomy. Eleven patients were improved and two were unchanged. Therefore the cerebrovascular Doppler examination can not be used to predict therapeutic success or failure of carotid endarterectomy for non-hemispheric TIA's.