For many of his patients, a neurologist prescribes an ECHO of the head. It stands for echoencephalography and is a non-invasive procedure during which the brain is examined and the sensitivity of its various parts to ultrasound is determined. Many patients ask the question: "If the doctor recommends an ECHO of the head, what does this examination show?". In this way, pathologies of the brain that can threaten life are revealed: hemorrhages, tumors, abscesses, injuries. Let's take a closer look at this procedure.
What is echoencephalography?
ECHO of the head is a safe and fairly informative method of examining the brain using ultrasound in both adults and children. Such waves, having a frequency of 0.5-15 MHz / s, easily pass through various tissues of the body and are reflected from any surfaces located near the boundaries of tissues with different compositions (medulla, skull bones, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, soft tissues of the head).
As a result of such a study, reflective surfaces are quite capable of being andformations that are pathological in nature (various hematomas and abscesses, foreign bodies, crush areas, cysts). With the help of echoencephalography, the arteries and veins of the patient are also examined and the patency of the cerebral vessels is checked. Such a procedure easily reveals a violation of blood flow, which can subsequently lead to serious diseases.
When is echoencephalography prescribed for adults?
This procedure for adults is prescribed to detect formations in the following pathologies:
- tumors;
- abscesses;
- head injury;
- intracranial hematoma;
- hydrocephalus;
- headaches;
- dizziness;
- intracranial hypertension;
- other diseases of a cerebral nature.
In addition, an echo examination of the head is prescribed for the diagnosis of some other diseases. This is:
- neck injury;
- VSD;
- impaired blood flow;
- vertebrobasilar insufficiency;
- cerebral ischemia;
- bruises and concussion;
- tinnitus;
- encephalopathy;
- stroke.
When is echoencephalography prescribed for children?
In children who are under 1.5 years old, the fontanel has not yet grown, so using this procedure, you can fully examine all parts of the brain.
ECHO of the head of a child is prescribed in the following cases:
- in order to evaluatedegree of hydrocephalus;
- if sleep is severely disturbed;
- to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy for neurological diseases;
- if nervous tics are pestering;
- with a delay in physical development;
- if muscle hypertonicity is detected;
- for stuttering and enuresis;
- in case of head injury.
Preparation for echoencephalography
To do an ECHO of the head in adults and children, no preparation is required. You can take any food and liquid. You can do this procedure at any age, as well as during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Only if there is an open wound on the head in those places where the sensor will be applied, it is best to use another type of study - computed tomography or MRI.
If an echoencephalography of the brain is performed on a small child, his parents should come to the rescue, who should keep his head in one position for some time.
Although this method is absolutely painless, but during the procedure it is necessary to change the scanning plane many times, and the head should not move. Sedation and anesthesia are not required during the procedure.
How is the study done?
How are ECHO heads made? To do this, the patient must be in a supine position, but in some cases, the procedure is performed while sitting. The examination begins from the right side, and then the left side of the head, from the forehead to the occipital region. This research method is often used inas emergency diagnostics, so they are small and easy to carry.
One-dimensional echoencephalography can be performed in the doctor's office, in the ambulance, on the street and at home, if the device is equipped with a battery. The study lasts 10-15 minutes and is carried out in two modes.
The first mode is transmission. With this method, two ultrasound sensors are used, installed on the same axis simultaneously on both sides of the head. One probe in this case sends a signal, and the other receives it. In this way, the "midline of the head" is calculated. Usually it coincides with the anatomical midline, but this dependence disappears with soft tissue bruises, as well as in the case of accumulation of blood in the cranial cavity or under the periosteum.
The second mode is emission. In this case, only one sensor is used, installed at such points where it is easier for ultrasound to penetrate the bones of the skull. This device is slightly shifted to make the image more informative.
Two-dimensional echoencephalography is obtained as a result of the gradual movement of the probe over the surface of the head. At the same time, an image of a horizontal section of the brain, obtained by moving such a device, appears on the monitor. In relation to small foci of pathology, such a study is not accurate enough. In this case, it is best to perform magnetic resonance imaging.
Transcript of results
The results of the ECHO of the head in both children and adults are interpreted in the same way. To decipherrecording specialist sonologist, you should know some theoretical issues.
So, normally, echoencephalography consists of three signals, or "bursts", called complexes.
The initial complex is the signal closest to the sensor. Its formation is carried out by ultrasound, which is reflected from the bones of the skull, skin with subcutaneous tissue and superficial structures of the brain.
The median complex (M-echo) is a signal obtained as a result of the “collision” of ultrasound with such brain structures located in the middle between the hemispheres.
The final complex is a signal coming from the soft tissues of the head, the bones of the skull, the hard shell of the brain on the opposite side of the sensor.
Echoencephalography is a combination of these three main signals, which on a monitor or paper looks like a graph with an abscissa and ordinate axis.
Deciphering the ECHO of the head begins with an assessment of the following indicators:
- M-echo. Such a signal usually occupies a middle position between two complexes. It is permissible if it moves 1-2 mm. Many scientific studies prove that if there are neurological symptoms, then a displacement of more than 0.6 mm should alert, and the person needs to undergo additional examination.
- The signal from the third ventricle should not be split or dilated as this indicates increased intracranial pressure.
- M-echo ripple should be between 10-30%. If it is increased to50-70%, then this indicates hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome.
- There must be an equal number of smaller signals between the M-echo and the initial complex, on the one hand, and the M-echo and the final signal, on the other hand.
- The average selling index (SI) in adults should be 3, 9-4, 1 or more. If it decreases below 3.8, then this indicates the existence of increased intracranial pressure.
Other indicators
In addition, echoencephalography consists of the following indicators:
- The index of the third ventricle is 22-24. Less than 22 is a sign of hydrocephalus.
- The medial wall index is 4-5. If the indicator is greater than 5, then this indicates increased pressure in the supratentorial space.
- If the M-echo is shifted by 5 mm or more in the clinic of stroke in the first days, this indicates that it is hemorrhagic in nature. If the dislocation is absent or does not exceed 2.5 mm, then the stroke is ischemic.
- With a large displacement of the M-echo after a long course of the disease, if there are no signs of inflammation, a tumor is often detected. Elevated temperature, intoxication of the body, a sharp development of the disease and a large shift in the M-echo indicate a brain abscess.
Since such a study has errors, a neurologist should decipher the results. Treatment is prescribed only if the doctor matches the echo pattern with the person's symptoms.
Features of echoencephalography
Any medical research with various devices and its interpretation of the results depends on the human factor. Each highly professional specialist has a certain experience, thanks to which he can judge the data obtained in his own way, and there are times when the opinion of an ultrasound doctor does not coincide with the opinion of a neurologist. Therefore, a person after echoencephalography should be examined by a highly professional specialist, and on the basis of such an examination, as well as the results of ultrasound of the brain, treatment is prescribed.
ECHO of the head: where to do it?
There are so many options where you can get a brain exam. Ideally, first of all, you need to agree on the place of the procedure and the doctors - your treating neurologist and the specialist who will carry out the diagnosis. In some cases, echoencephalography is carried out directly by the treating neurologist, so you don’t have to go anywhere, since everything is done in one place.
Conclusion
Thus, we found out what the ECHO of the head is. Echoencephalography is performed to detect various pathological conditions of the brain. This procedure can be applied to both adults and children, and is quite safe and informative. Thanks to this study, an accurate diagnosis is made and the localization of many pathological formations is determined. The procedure itself is relatively inexpensive, in addition, it takes a little time.
