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Ultrasound examination of the brain is also called echoencephalography. The technique is based on the use of high frequency sound, which is directed to the part under study.
Unlike other methods for assessing the health of brain vessels and its soft tissues, the method is absolutely harmless. For its implementation, only impulses that are safe for humans are involved, which makes it possible to test the specified zone with any frequency without consequences.
One of the most important advantages of the procedure is high information content. Typically, similar diagnostic formats allow you to study separately only certain structures. But an ultrasound examination on one final image will allow us to examine not only the bone part of the skull, but also the medulla, as well as the tissues closest to it, if required by a doctor’s prescription.
The mechanism works due to the ability of ultrasound to be reflected at the interface between solid and liquid media. The signals coming from there are collected by a scanner, and then registered by a computer system, appearing before the diagnostician in the form of graphic information.
Neurosonography, which involves examining the brain with ultrasonic vibrations, is a diagnostic tool that is used even in emergency cases. Convenience is added by the fact that the analysis does not require any significant preparation. Most often, an unscheduled examination of this kind is carried out if the doctor suspects an organic pathology with a location in the cranial cavity.
Due to the absence of radiation exposure, the scheme is applicable even for children. MRI is much more informative, but has a number of contraindications. Because of this, experts argue that if the indications allow, then choosing between what is better: the use of magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound, preference should be given to the second. Especially when research is needed in children.
Basic indications
In some cases, the reason for studying the state of the brain is the need to perform surgical intervention in the indicated place. The resulting visualization will become something like a map revealing the location of the lesion, which should be disposed of in an operative way.
Ultrasound is used as a control of the dynamics of recovery after undergoing therapy or surgery. People suffering from serious brain diseases undergo this examination several times a year, the frequency is determined by the doctor.
Sometimes, to establish a complete picture of what is happening, it is necessary to additionally use detailed visualization of the neck. This occurs when it is necessary to assess the adequacy of blood flow through the vessels of the cervical region, their patency.
The price for a more extensive study will be higher. Usually, only the administrator of the medical center who makes the appointment can accurately answer the question: how much testing costs. Also, the cost will vary depending on what specific type of ultrasound is needed in each case. In a number of health facilities it is possible to conduct examinations free of charge.
The main indications for the procedure are:
- headache;
- osteochondrosis found in the cervical spine;
- arterial hypertension;
- problems with coordination of movements;
- regular dizziness;
- noise in ears;
- diabetes;
- elevated cholesterol;
- recent stroke;
- obesity;
- weakness in the fingers of the upper limbs.
The presented list is not a complete list of symptoms and diseases that should prompt the patient to undergo an additional examination. When contacting a neurosurgeon or any other specialized doctor, all adults should listen to the medical recommendations of experts. If they are sent to the diagnostic room, you should not ignore the issued referral, based on reviews on the Internet. Messages from people with allegedly similar symptoms, for whom “everything went away on its own” is not the best option for saving your own life.
It is much more efficient to find out where to make a high-quality ultrasound examination using innovative equipment, and then bring the result to the attending doctor.
Safety measures
Many are interested in whether the manipulation is done only after certain preparatory measures. In fact, nothing significant is required of a person. Doctors ask one day before the appointment to stop drinking alcoholic beverages and put cigarettes aside. You should also refrain from drinking tea or coffee. All of the above can somewhat distort the final image.
Before the examination, you should definitely consult with your specialist whether it is possible to continue taking previously prescribed medications. Some drugs affect the condition of the vessels, so sometimes a couple of days before the ultrasound, you should stop taking the pills.
But this is allowed only after prior agreement with the doctor. Unauthorized refusal to follow the established course of therapy can significantly worsen the current well-being of the victim. At a preliminary consultation, it is necessary to announce all the medicines that a person takes, regardless of which organ they are intended for.
The listed norms are aimed at avoiding the occurrence of increased vascular tone. To obtain the most detailed image, you need to remove jewelry and other metal products from the upper body.
The collected information will be of help in order to identify a possible pathology at its early stage of development. Most often, following a medical recommendation, which includes going to an ultrasound scan, allows you to identify:
- vascular aneurysms;
- arterial stenosis;
- atherosclerotic signs.
The examination fixes even minor deviations in the blood flow. The incoming information in real time is the basis for establishing the fact of the presence of an anomaly in the blood supply. Complaints, data from other examinations, information about hereditary predisposition, coupled with the results of ultrasound help to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment, reduce the risk of developing serious complications.
The results of ultrasound can be used in surgery, neurology, therapy, pediatrics.
Ultrasound for newborns
Most modern mothers, being registered in the antenatal clinic, must undergo three or more ultrasound examinations of the fetus. The use of this particular technology is explained by the fact that it is harmless both to a woman and to a baby vulnerable to changes in the radiation background.
Due to safety, the procedure is used in infants. This usually happens at the age of one month, when the baby has the first screening. Separately, there are indications for the baby, when an unscheduled procedure becomes mandatory:
- prematurity;
- unusual shape of the facial skeleton;
- non-standard head sizes;
- birth injury;
- low body weight;
- hypoxia;
- infection at the stage of intrauterine stay;
- signs of neurological abnormalities;
- developmental anomalies.
But the main reason for the examination is always to check the functional state of the brain.
The procedure can be carried out up to a year, that is, when the fontanelles have not yet fully grown together.
When the technique is useful for adults
Echoencephalography is designed to detect a number of pathologies in adults. At first, they may not show themselves as bright symptoms, but visualization will establish the onset of their development as early as possible. Main indications and identified problems:
- changes in the intracranial space;
- assessment of the severity of consequences after a traumatic brain injury;
- conductivity of cerebrospinal fluid spaces;
- inflammatory processes caused by infectious origin in encephalitis, meningitis, brain abscess;
- cyst of any origin;
- hematomas of complicated or uncomplicated format;
- hydrocephalus;
- hemorrhages of any volume with penetration into the brain tissue.
Separately, situations are considered when patients registered in an oncological dispensary are sent for examination. With the help of the information received, it is possible to determine whether there is a tumor or metastases in the specified area. But to say for sure whether the detected neoplasm is benign or malignant is unlikely to succeed.
To confirm the received data regarding the suspicion of cancer, you need to understand how ultrasound is done and why it is better to use contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The cumulative results will tell you the nature of the tumor found.
Involvement of CT or MRI may be needed for other cases when the ultrasound format does not fully reveal the clinical picture. Ultrasound diagnostics is listed as a screening option, which can only suggest a number of changes.
Classification of ultrasound examinations
With the development of medical technology, specialists have moved far ahead, offering several types of ultrasound today. All of them differ in the quality of the information provided, but they use the same principle of operation. The manipulation algorithm is identical both for checking the cerebral ventricles and the bone structure after a mechanical trauma to the skull.
First, the patient will be asked to remove metal jewelry, and then lie down on a medical couch. There is no need to worry, since a non-invasive examination does not cause any physical discomfort or pain.
The doctor directs the sensor to the area under study, where the blood vessels that need to be controlled are located. For the convenience of manipulation, a person should turn his head to the side and throw it back a little.
Then the diagnostician checks with the direction brought by the patient. It will tell you in which mode the evaluation should be carried out. There are 2 options:
- two-dimensional, which is also called B-mode;
- duplex color.
The first aims to monitor only the vasculature that extends outside the skull. This is about:
- internal artery;
- common artery;
- external carotid artery;
- jugular vein;
- vertebral arteries;
- small surrounding branches.
For the conclusion, information regarding arterial and venous patency is used. It is also worth taking note of the location of large vessels in relation to generally accepted standards. The general tone of the vessels, their diameter, the elasticity of the walls, possible intraluminal formations, and the health of the surrounding tissues are taken into account.
Duplex color scanning has more readings. The difference concerns the ability of the duplex to cover the state of the vessels in the cranial cavity and beyond. The first option in medical terminology is called transcranial, and the second is also called extracranial.
This scanning format with the involvement of ultrasound provides the most complete picture of:
- arterial blood flow velocity;
- uniformity of vessel filling;
- turbulence of blood flow;
- enlightened;
- venous valves;
- vessel geometry;
- patency;
- elasticity of the venous walls;
- condition of the venous sinus.
If the doctor additionally indicates the need for a transcranial examination, then the sensor is applied only to certain areas of the head. Among them:
- temporal bone, including behind, in front of the ear, and also above it;
- connection of the head with the neck;
- eyelid of closed eyes.
But here it is necessary to take into account the features of the bone structure of each individual patient. For example, with severe osteochondrosis of the cervical region, it is problematic to consider the structure. In this case, alternative methods are used.
You also need to take into account that when switching the ultrasound machine to the Doppler effect mode, it is not always possible to conduct a high-quality assessment. The barrier is insufficient blood flow.
Auxiliary methods can be used to refine the data to obtain more extensive information. These are functional trials involving two methods:
- hyperventilation;
- finger pressure.
With the help of such measures, it is possible to better diagnose the mechanism of blood flow regulation.
Very rarely, specialists have to use the so-called extended doppleography. It contributes to the conversion of conventional ultrasound signals into sound. After listening to the studied areas, the expert will be able to get a more detailed picture of what is happening in the bloodstream. The information obtained will be the basis for making a diagnosis regarding blockage or vascular narrowing. Additionally, a rare technique determines the degree of violation of blood transport.
On average, one manipulation lasts about half an hour. But the time can be extended if it is required to study health in several modes involving functional tests. If you resort to the portable type Doppler mode, you can save almost a third of the time allotted for reception.
Possible contraindications
Unlike diagnostics, where x-rays or a magnetic field are involved, ultrasound has no absolute contraindications. Restrictions are only relative prohibitions, which can be lifted at the discretion of the doctor.
The first and one of the most important points is the absence of age barriers. Even if you didn’t manage to consider everything the first time, you can sign up for an examination again. But it must be taken into account that this will not help if the area under study is covered with bone tissue. Especially often this happens when it is necessary to examine the supposedly problematic vessel.
Obesity can become another snag, because due to the high content of fatty tissue, it becomes very difficult for even a highly sensitive sensor to reach the internal organs and blood vessels.
Visualization may be difficult in patients suffering from arrhythmias, cardiac pathologies, and slow blood flow. A more significant contraindication is significant damage to the skin. The reason for this is the inability to attach the sensor due to poor contact with the skin. Here you have to wait for the complete healing of the upper layer, and only then do what is planned.
Schematic interpretation
A detailed transcript is made by the attending physician, who receives an encrypted conclusion from the diagnostician along with graphic information. It is important to understand that the results of the examination are not the final basis for making a diagnosis. The doctor will take into account the complaints of the ward, as well as the results of other tests.
The official document handed over from the ultrasound room will provide information on: the size, structure of the cerebral ventricles; areas of the subarachnoid space; vessels localized in the plexuses, where a cyst is often found.
So, in newborns, in which the ventricles are enlarged, rickets or hydrocephalus are sometimes diagnosed later. Among adults, heterogeneity in this zone may suggest an incipient cyst.
The subarachnoid space, which is a gap between parts of the brain, deserves special attention. It is filled with a special liquid. If its indicators are far from the average standards, then this is an alarming bell for physicians.
Some patients try to understand the numerical values indicated in the conclusion on their own. But this does not make sense, since only professionals in their field should trust such a thing.