Contents
Pain in the abdomen is one of the unpleasant symptoms that can indicate a variety of diseases. In the event that the diagnostic result is contradictory and does not contribute to the correct diagnosis, and even an ultrasound examination of the intestine does not give clear answers, the attending physician may prescribe a duplex scan of the abdominal aorta and its branches. This examination is able to determine information inaccessible to many other methods about the state of the intestines and abdominal organs. Duplex scanning combines traditional ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound scanning. Therefore, it is called duplex, that is, double. This allows the doctor to maximally examine the structure of the vessels, track how the blood moves and make measurements of the blood flow velocity. Also, the doctor will be able to determine the diameter of the blood vessels and identify the blockage.
Показания
Ultrasound of the abdominal aorta and its branches is prescribed to a person with various symptoms and complaints. First of all, it concerns pain in the abdomen of unknown origin. It also includes hypotension or hypertension, impotence, hydronephrosis, stenosis, pain in the legs. In addition, it is recommended to undergo this examination for male smokers over the age of 65, people with bowel problems. The latter especially include people who have begun alternating constipation and diarrhea.
Preparing for the procedure
Duplex examination should be carried out on an empty stomach, therefore, 4-6 hours before the procedure, you should refuse to eat. No other special preparatory rules are required, except in cases of increased gas formation in the patient. With flatulence, it is almost impossible to consider the organs on the monitor, so a person can be sent to cleanse the intestines. Before the procedure itself and before its appointment, the attending physician must tell the patient about all the nuances of the procedure. During this conversation, a person can ask any questions that concern him.
How is a duplex scan performed?
Ultrasound of the abdominal aorta and its branches lasts approximately 20 minutes. The patient is unlikely to be able to distinguish it from the usual ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. At the beginning of the procedure, the patient needs to lie down on the couch. After that, the doctor must lubricate the sensor with a special gel and attach it to the area of the body being examined, moving it slowly to the side and back. For some people, the procedure may cause some discomfort due to the cold gel, but the person will definitely not be able to feel pain. The sound during the procedure may indicate the state of blood flow. The monitor will show all the information received by the sensor.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of this method is informativeness and extensive diagnostics. It is worth noting the fact that this procedure has no contraindications, which simplifies the study several times. The duration of the procedure can also be called an advantage, because the scan does not last long. In addition, after the scan, the person is not limited in anything, and can immediately go home.
What does this procedure reveal?
The most common cause that affects the walls of the vessels of the abdominal cavity is an atherosclerotic lesion of the inner surface of the vessels with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and narrowing of the lumen. The narrowing of the lumen of the vessels leads to a decrease in blood volume.
The second group of lesions is the occurrence of an aneurysm. It should be noted that the defeat of the branches occurs much less frequently than the aorta. An aneurysm is an expansion of a part of a vessel that exceeds the diameter of a normal vessel by one and a half times. With regard to the aorta, an aneurysm is considered an expansion of more than 3 cm. An aneurysm can be true and false. The true one has a full-fledged wall, which consists of 3 layers, the false one does not have such a wall. The walls in a false aneurysm are the tissues that surround the vessel. The formation of a false aneurysm can be associated with vessel injury or not entirely successful catheterization. Through defects in the walls, blood enters the tissue, which subsequently coagulates. True and false aneurysms can cause compression of surrounding tissues. For example, an iliac artery aneurysm can compress the ureter and cause a condition such as hydronephrosis.
The third group of lesions is the dissection of the walls of the aorta, as well as the arterial vessel. A similar condition can occur as a result of the formation of a defect in the layer of the artery due to the blood flowing through it and the subsequent detachment.
Criteria for damage to the branches of the aorta
In order to diagnose lesions, visualization is used in the usual black and white mode and in color mapping mode. The combination of the two modes allows you to consider the geometry and structure of the walls of the vessel, as well as draw conclusions about the degree of vasoconstriction. An important criterion for vessel stenosis is an increase in peak systolic velocity. In this case, it is important to pay attention to the ratio. This refers to the speed in the vessel to the speed of blood movement in the abdominal aorta. Exceeding this value by 3 times may indicate stenosis.
What influences the success of the procedure?
In addition to the quality of the equipment and the professionalism of the specialist who conducts the study, there are several other important factors that can affect the possibility of high-quality imaging.
First of all, it concerns the mass of the human body. Flatulence and shortness of breath can also affect the result. Therefore, it is extremely important to properly prepare for this study.