Abstract
Ultrasonography of intracranial arteries is a non-invasive and highly efficient method
for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with cerebrovascular diseases, also in
the bedside setting of the critically ill. For reliable assessment and interpretation
of sonographic findings, the technique requires – apart from dedicated anatomic and
pathophysiological knowledge of cerebral arteries and their hemodynamics – the comprehension
of alternative imaging modalities such as CT or MR angiography. This article reviews
the transcranial color-coded duplex sonographic (TCCS) examination technique including
the transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) for a standardized ultrasound assessment
of the intracranial arteries and typical pathological cases. As a complementary tool,
transorbital ultrasound for the assessment of the optic nerve sheath diameter and
adjacent structures is also described in this article.
