Cerebral blood flow measurements of the extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries with Doppler ultrasonography in healthy adults.

PURPOSE To establish normal cerebral blood flow volume by measuring flow volume of the extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries using Doppler ultrasonography in healthy adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study was performed with a group of 96 healthy adults aged 20 to 80 years (48 women, 48 men; mean age of all patients, 49.8 +/- 17.1). The common, external, and internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries (CCA, ECA, ICA, and VA, respectively) were examined using Doppler ultrasonography. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI), and luminal diameters of the vessels were measured, and flow volumes were calculated in all the arteries. The influence of age on these parameters was also investigated. RESULTS In the CCA, ICA, and VA, all flow velocities and flow volumes decreased significantly with an increase in age. The luminal diameters of the carotid and vertebral arteries increased significantly with aging, while there was no significant alteration in the RI. The luminal diameters of the CCA, ICA, and ECA were significantly smaller in women than in men. PSV and EDV in the ICA, and EDV in the VA were significantly higher in men. There was no gender-linked difference in flow volumes of the brain-feeding arteries, however, in the ECA flow volumes were significantly higher in women. CONCLUSION Normal cerebral blood flow volume was established by measuring the flow volume of the ECA and VA with Doppler ultrasonography in healthy adults. We believe that these data can be useful in evaluating cases with cerebrovascular disease, which are related to altered cerebral blood flow volume.