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Transcranial Doppler imaging in children: sickle cell screening and beyond

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Abstract

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is widely accepted as the modality of choice for screening intracranial vessels in children with sickle cell disease. Its advantages are that it is noninvasive (no need for sedation, contrast material, or radiation), portable, easily repeated, and it provides information about the intracranial vessels that is otherwise unavailable. These positive attributes explain why in recent years the applications for TCD have grown beyond sickle cell screening to almost any disease process that involves the major intracranial vessels. The objective of this manuscript is to discuss key points on how to perform and interpret TCD, and discuss imaging features of various pathological processes such as sickle cell, asphyxia, brain trauma, brain death, hydrocephalus, enlarged subarachnoid spaces, vasospasm, vasculitis, venous sinus thrombosis, and vein of Galen malformation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Radiology, Children’s Mercy Hospital and The University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA

    Lisa H. Lowe

  2. Department of Pediatric Radiology, Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Dorothy I. Bulas

Authors
  1. Lisa H. Lowe
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  2. Dorothy I. Bulas
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Correspondence to Lisa H. Lowe.

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Lowe, L.H., Bulas, D.I. Transcranial Doppler imaging in children: sickle cell screening and beyond. Pediatr Radiol 35, 54–65 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-004-1257-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-004-1257-x

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