In case of violations of the cardiovascular system, frequent headaches, dizziness and many other diseases, the doctor prescribes duplex scanning of the BCA to the patient to diagnose the condition. What it is? Ultrasound BCA - examination of the main (brachiocephalic) arteries using ultrasound.
General information
Every person has brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) - carotid, subclavian, vertebral. The place where they join is called the brachiocephalic trunk. The main vessels and some branches form a single Wellisian circle, the main task of which is to distribute the movement of blood to all parts of the brain. When making a diagnosis, the doctor needs to evaluate all the characteristics of the state of the arteries, their functionality. If even in one of them there are violations or pathology, then this can lead to a failure of the entire vascular system and, as a result, to a stroke.
To check the brachiocephalic arteries, a non-invasive diagnostic method is used - duplex scanning of the BCA vessels. The apparatus for studying the arteries acts onprinciples of echolocation. The information obtained is displayed on the monitor in digital format, thanks to which a clear picture is available to the specialist for visual examination of the vessels. The method combines the ability to track the work of the arteries and adjacent tissues using ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound, which evaluates the characteristics of the movement of blood through the artery (velocity, volume, blockages, etc.).
Informativeness of the method
Currently, there is an opportunity to conduct such a diagnosis in almost every clinic. The method is popular because it provides a large and comprehensive array of information. The main task of the doctor is to give the correct interpretation of the data received.
Duplex scan of the brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) shows the following:
- Permeability of vessels.
- Determines the presence of pathologies (congenital, acquired).
- Visually demonstrates the condition of the walls of arteries and vessels (thickness, width of the lumen of the artery, homogeneity of the epithelium, etc.).
- Reflects the intensity of blood flow, the nature of the movement of blood through the vessels.
- Identifies arterial lesions such as atherosclerosis and its severity.
- Shows the individual characteristics of the location, development of the BCA.
Hardware study allows you to examine the artery from all sides, identify the disease in the initial stage, when symptoms have not yet appeared, determine the presence of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of the arteries, and much more.
Quality tool for a doctor
Using the BCA ultrasound method, a specialist diagnoses a whole list of diseases without interfering with the work of the body:
- Stenosis - narrowing of the walls of blood vessels / arteries. At the initial stage, the doctor and the patient have the opportunity to avoid ischemic stroke with the right therapy strategy.
- Aneurysm - appears on the walls of the vessels of the brain, is a neoplasm. Aneurysm is a dangerous disease that, if left untreated, leads to hemorrhage in the tissues.
- Atherosclerosis is the leader among vascular diseases. The patient develops atherosclerotic plaques, as they thicken and grow, they block the vessels of the brain, provoking a stroke.
Diagnosis Benefits
The condition of the main arteries is one of the indicators of the he alth of each person, the ability to quickly diagnose often saves the lives of many patients.
Head and neck duplex scanning (BCA) has the following advantages:
- Non-invasiveness - the complete absence of a penetrating effect on the body.
- Safety - the radiation of the device does not cause any harm, neither radiation nor radiation exposure is exerted on the body. The procedure can be performed on pregnant women and infants. The number of sessions is not limited by either time or frequency of appointments.
- Informative - BCA ultrasound allows diagnosing even those disorders that do not have clinicalmanifestations, all the slightest deviations will be visible during the study, which allows you to prescribe preventive procedures. In critical cases, an immediate course of therapy will protect the patient from stroke, heart attack and other fatal diseases.
- Availability – duplex scanning of BCA vessels of the neck, head lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. During the procedure, the doctor can fully assess the condition, and the patient can understand how his blood vessels work.
In what cases is the study prescribed
Duplex scanning of BCA is recommended for everyone. For a he althy person, once a year is enough during a preventive examination. Doctors distinguish several categories of the population at risk, for which vascular scanning is vital. These include:
- People over 40.
- Elderly patients.
- People with blood relatives with vascular disease.
- Smokers with more than 15 years of tobacco smoking.
- Patients with diabetes, obesity, autoimmune vascular pathologies, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
- Patients with metabolic syndrome, cerebral circulation disorders.
The doctor may order a BCA duplex scan in the following cases:
- Deterioration of concentration, memory.
- Dizziness of unknown origin.
- Vision disorder (the appearance of a veil, flies before the eyes).
- Frequent headaches
- Recurring episodes of pre-syncope.
- Wobbling gait, lack of coordination.
- Tinnitus (throbbing in the temples).
- Jumps in blood pressure (sharp decrease, sharp increase).
- Lethargy, general weakness, “blurring” of visual perception, etc.
Indications for mandatory diagnostics
Direct indications for BCA duplex scanning are the following diseases and conditions:
- Vegetovascular dystonia.
- Vascular lesions.
- Neoplasms in the neck.
- Preparation for cardiac interventions.
- Postoperative diagnostics (cardiology, vessels of the head, neck).
- A number of blood diseases.
- Vasculitis, compression of the arteries.
- Manifestations of oxygen starvation.
Preparation and implementation
Diagnosis does not require special preparation, but elementary rules must be observed in order not to distort the picture of the study:
- The patient is advised to avoid spicy, fatty foods, energy drinks and alcoholic drinks. Coffee, strong tea, s alty foods are also excluded. The use of such products leads to increased vascular tone, accelerates blood circulation, which will lead to an incorrect assessment of the condition.
- A leisurely walk in the fresh air is recommended before the examination.
- If the patient is taking certain medications, the specialist may suggest temporaryrefuse them (without harm to he alth). For everyone, it is mandatory to refuse vitamin complexes, drugs that improve memory and concentration, for several days before diagnosis.
Duplex BCA scanning for a patient is a simple procedure that can be performed in an outpatient setting. The implementation is provided by the same instrumental base as the ultrasound examination. The patient needs to take a comfortable position, release the necessary part of the body from clothing, relax. The session takes from 20 to 60 minutes.
Transcript
BCA duplex scanning is the key to diagnosing many abnormalities, diseases or congenital pathologies that have little or no manifestation of themselves. Nevertheless, any anomalies or prerequisites for the disease have their consequences and explain the general condition of the patient. For example, diagnosing thickening of the walls of blood vessels raises the suspicion of Takayasu's syndrome. In its manifestations and clinical picture, it is very similar to atherosclerosis. The study can demonstrate the difference in the upper blood pressure in the shoulders, such a symptom reflects the blockage of the vessels of the vertebral artery.
Reading and deciphering the results is the task of a neurologist or vascular surgeon. A normal vessel has a uniform surface, sufficient lumen width and wall thickness to ensure uninterrupted blood flow. The doctor, describing the results of the diagnosis, indicates the characteristics of the deformities, their location,quality indicators, type of vascular lesion.
To determine the degree of deviation, research data are compared with normal values. Based on the results obtained, the diagnosis of diseases of the arteries, heart, brain is carried out. Duplex scanning of BCA is an intermediate procedure, the final diagnosis requires additional measures and tests.
What people pay attention to
When deciphering the main indicators of blood flow, which reflect the diastolic and systolic velocity of blood flow, resistance and diameter of the vessel under study. Any deviation from normal values in the direction of decrease or increase signal the presence of the disease.
Also, in the transcript of the study, the features of the state of the vessels, existing changes, pathologies, etc. are indicated. In some cases, diagnostics are done with a horizontal and vertical position of the body for an in-depth study of changes in the state.
Diagnosis in Omsk and St. Petersburg
Duplex scanning of BCA in Omsk is offered by more than 65 medical institutions, among them:
- Center "Artmed", price from 990 rubles.
- Central Clinical Hospital, the price of the procedure starts from 600 rubles.
- FMBA Center, the cost of vascular diagnostics is from 1100 rubles.
- The railway hospital has set the cost of the study from 785 rubles.
- Ministry of Emergency Situations No. 9 offers duplex scanning from the startcosting from 750 rubles.
Duplex scanning of the BCA in St. Petersburg is provided by more than 530 clinics of state and private forms of ownership. The price ranges from 480 to 6500 rubles. For example:
- Research for children at the Medica ultrasound center - 1550 rubles.
- The Pirogov Center on the Fontanka carries out the procedure at a price of 2200 rubles.
- Hospital No. 40 in Sestroretsk offers BCA duplex scanning at a cost of 900 rubles.
- The Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology evaluates the study of blood vessels from a starting price of 1,500 rubles.
Each patient independently determines where to undergo duplex scanning of the BCA, most often the referral for the study is given by the attending physician. In some clinics, this type of diagnostics is carried out free of charge - according to compulsory medical insurance policies.
