Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the world, primarily because of poor diagnosis and unhealthy lifestyle choices. It has become very important to diagnose the signs and symptoms of a CVD to help curb these statistics. Echocardiography is the most common procedure used to help diagnose a CVD but with updates in sonography technology, there are quite a number of other techniques that can be used in place of or with it to help in diagnosis and eventual management.
The case: carotid artery stenosis
Stenosis is one of the most common CVDs experienced by symptomatic cases. Stenosis happens when a blood vessel hardens because of a build-up of plaque – fatty deposits – that damage and cause the vessel to become stiff. When arteries and vessels are stenosed, it causes poor blood flow and weakened vessel walls. The vessels leak or rupture with high blood pressure as the plaque continues to build up in the area.
A case of stenosis usually starts out small, with minimal deposits – a condition that is difficult to diagnose, especially if the deposits are small and unnoticeable. The case usually becomes worse as the deposits get bigger and start obstructing blood flow causing the development of symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.
A case of stenosis usually starts out small, with minimal deposits – a condition that is difficult to diagnose, especially if the deposits are small and unnoticeable. The case usually becomes worse as the deposits get bigger and start obstructing blood flow causing the development of symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.
Color duplex ultrasonography and B-flow imaging
Both CDU and BFI are sonography techniques that use sound waves to create visualization of structures and blood flow through vessels in the body. CDU is currently the gold standard for non-invasive diagnosis of cardiac stenosis. While the accuracy of CDU for diagnosis a case of stenosis and its severity is around 90%, there is still a bit of concern in the diagnostic community about the reliability and sensitivity of the CDU. This concern has brought about a need for another non-invasive test that can confirm the findings of the CDU.
BFI is one of the newer sonography procedures that show the advancement that sonography has experienced in the technological age. BFI introduces the use of coded sound waves that suppress the signals from non-moving tissue. This allows the procedure to visualize blood flow through blood vessels in different parts of the body, and can be used to diagnose the severity of stenosis in an artery or vein.
BFI is one of the newer sonography procedures that show the advancement that sonography has experienced in the technological age. BFI introduces the use of coded sound waves that suppress the signals from non-moving tissue. This allows the procedure to visualize blood flow through blood vessels in different parts of the body, and can be used to diagnose the severity of stenosis in an artery or vein.
New vs. old
Results of a study that compared CDU with BFI showed that CDU still has better sensitive but BFI is much more specific in detecting stenosis with a percentage of 79 to 90. The conclusion shows that it would be better for both procedures to be used in diagnosis rather than just a single one. The equipment used for BFI is the same as a CDU, with additional software. This makes using both tests extremely easy and hassle-free, as well as not adding additional costs.
While CDUs still retain the gold standard title, a combination of both CDU and BFI have shown better accuracy in diagnosing stenosis than either method alone. If you study in an accredited ultrasound technician schools online or on-campus, then you will most likely be familiar with the latest sonography technique updates and researches. There are currently more than 200 sonography schools to choose from in the US in 2014 so you won’t have a hard time looking for a school that’s near you and gives you the latest training in sonography.
While CDUs still retain the gold standard title, a combination of both CDU and BFI have shown better accuracy in diagnosing stenosis than either method alone. If you study in an accredited ultrasound technician schools online or on-campus, then you will most likely be familiar with the latest sonography technique updates and researches. There are currently more than 200 sonography schools to choose from in the US in 2014 so you won’t have a hard time looking for a school that’s near you and gives you the latest training in sonography.