Abklärung von Karotisstenose und -Verschluss

Diagnostic work-up of patients with suspicion of a symptomatic obstruction of the extracranial carotid artery should be performed on an emergency basis. The applied diagnostic method should be (1.) non-invasive and cause no harm to the patient, and (2.) allow the reliable diagnosis of ≥50% and ≥70% carotid stenosis and occlusion, and ideally of subtotal carotid stenosis with distal narrow lumen, and enable the detection of intracranial stenoses. The most commonly used diagnostic tool, combined extra- and transcranial color duplex ultrasound, and other diagnostic methods including MR, CT and catheter angiography, are discussed.