Uzdg of vessels of the head and neck of a child: preparation and indications. What does the bridle of the vessels of the head and neck show and how is it done in a child and an adult? Doppler of the vessels of the neck and head in a child

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Ultrasound of the neck vessels of a child

One of the simplest, most accessible and highly informative diagnostic methods in pediatrics is. The ultrasound method is absolutely safe and painless for a child of any age.

An ultrasound of the vessels of the child’s neck is performed during a difficult pregnancy in the mother or during a protracted labor, if the child has experienced hypoxia or received perinatal trauma. In such cases, an ultrasound scan is mandatory.

Currently, many pediatricians actively advocate for preventive ultrasound of the neck vessels, since many diseases are asymptomatic.

The study of the vessels of the neck and brain is called neurosonnography. In children under 1 year of age it is carried out through the fontanelles. When the fontanels are closed, an ultrasound of the neck vessels is performed through the temporal bones. Neurosonography allows you to assess the state of brain structures and its blood supply. The method does not require preparation. It is important to explain to the child how to behave during the study.

The information content of the method depends on the qualifications of the doctor and his knowledge of the structural features of the cerebral vessels in children of different age groups.

Absolute indications for performing ultrasound of neck vessels in children:

Complicated childbirth
Intracranial hemorrhages
Congenital developmental defects (aneurysms, pathological tortuosity of arteries)
Premature babies
Postpartum hypoxia and asphyxia
Injuries received during passage through the birth canal
Increased intracranial pressure
Brief loss of consciousness
Risk factors for the development of cerebrovascular accidents are obesity, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory cerebrovascular diseases
Presence of infections in the mother during pregnancy

Together with neurosonography, a study of cerebral vessels (Doppler sonography) is performed. This method allows you to assess the nature of intracerebral circulation. Dopplerography is an informative ultrasound method that allows you to identify abnormalities of cerebral vessels, stenoses, spasms and occlusions. Timely ultrasound of the neck vessels in infants prevents the development of cerebral palsy.

Ultrasound of neck vessels for children according to indications

Any diagnostic test has its own indications. Relative indications for performing ultrasound of neck vessels in children include:

Headache up to migraine
Decreased memory and concentration
Cognitive impairment and school delay
Feeling of high blood pressure
Restlessness and irritability
Sleep disturbance
Delayed speech development
Signs of vascular inflammation (muscle pain, dysfunction, burning sensation)
Feeling of heaviness and weakness in the head and neck

Such signs are often early symptoms of impaired cerebral circulation.

Particular attention is paid when such complaints appear in children of preschool and school age. Ultrasound of the vessels of the neck in the early stages makes it possible to detect vegetative-vascular dystonia, migraine, foci of epilepsy, myopia and hearing loss. The results of the study are assessed by an ultrasound diagnostic physician together with a pediatrician and neurologist.

Answers on questions

Ultrasound of brain structures is a modern, objective research method that allows one to determine the presence of pathological foci located inside the skull. Diagnostics is also called neurosonography. This procedure is completely safe and can be used even in newborns and premature babies. This article will tell you in detail in what cases a brain ultrasound is prescribed for children, how the examination is carried out, and what diseases it detects.

Characteristics of the study

Ultrasound of cerebral vessels is performed using ultrasound, which does not pose a danger to the body. This procedure is carried out for all age categories. It can even be used to examine pregnant women and premature babies. High-frequency waves pass through tissue and are then reflected. Next, the reflected waves are captured using an ultrasonic sensor and displayed on the equipment screen.

Doppler ultrasound of the brain has the following advantages:

complete safety. The examination is not dangerous, since ultrasonic waves do not harm the body;
the possibility of frequent testing allows you to monitor the progress of treatment of the disease and use diagnostics as a preventive measure;
painless, non-invasive;
the likelihood of diagnosing soft tissues of the brain;
the likelihood of examining the same area in different projections;
availability.

There are several types of procedures to identify brain disorders:

Echoencephalography. This type is used for both adult and children's categories.
Neurosonography is used exclusively as a pediatric study.
Duplex scanning, which allows you to evaluate the functioning of blood vessels not only in the head, but also in the neck.

In children of the first year of life, ultrasound is performed through an open fontanelle.

An ultrasound of the head of a child in the first year of life is performed using neurosonography. This procedure is performed through the fontanelle, resulting in a two-dimensional picture of the brain structures. If the child has normal development, then the fontanelle heals within the first year, sometimes this process continues for 1.5 years. This procedure is completely painless. Usually it is done for no more than 25 minutes.

Indications for research

Ultrasound of the brain can be performed from the first days of life, even in the maternity hospital. Read more about ultrasound of the brain in newborns in this article. It is usually performed for the following indications:

previous intrauterine infection;
difficult labor period;
birth premature;
increased intracranial pressure;
low birth weight;
abnormal development of arteries;
hypoxia;
birth injuries;
intracranial hemorrhage;
fainting;
being overweight;
suspected diabetes mellitus.

Today in pediatrics, ultrasound of the brain is performed as a preventative measure for all children under one year of age. It allows you to timely determine the presence of hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and pathology of the vascular bed. When a child reaches one year of age, an ultrasound examination of the head is prescribed if:

headaches;
dizziness;
fainting;
impaired coordination;
impaired attention;
problems with memory, thinking;
emotional disturbances. When the baby is angry and tearful;
disturbed sleep. Moreover, this can manifest itself as both insomnia and increased drowsiness;
sensations of goosebumps on the head;
restlessness.

The listed signs often indicate impaired blood circulation. Often such symptoms appear at the beginning of the child’s educational activities or during puberty.

The doctor may ask you to change the position of the child's body

What diseases does it detect?

During the examination, ultrasound reveals impaired blood flow, vascular pathologies, intracranial hemorrhage and various complications of these diseases. These anomalies often cause death and lead to serious complications in the psychoneurological status of the baby. The study can reveal hypoxia and ischemia of brain structures in children, inflammatory processes in the brain, which can occur not only during intrauterine gestation, but also in subsequent stages of child development.

Various brain defects, hydrocephalus, cysts, aneurysms, hematomas, and tumor processes are diagnosed.

Common results decoding

Most often, doctors are faced with the following interpretation of the results:

expansion of the cerebral ventricles is indicated if the depth of the examined structure is higher than the norm. This parameter should not be more than 2 mm. These results indicate the presence of hydrocephalus, which is popularly called hydrocephalus. Usually the disease occurs as a result of intrauterine infections. Intracerebral fluid causes increased pressure. Because of this, the child is very tired, has a headache, and is developmentally delayed;
the expanded subarachnoid space is characterized by a parameter of more than 3 mm. Typically, this pathology is manifested by frequent regurgitation and poor appetite. May be a sign of meningitis. If the increase was detected only on ultrasound and does not have any symptoms, then it may be a sign of hydrocephalus;
Vascular cysts are a plexus of vessels that line the ventricle of the brain. Most often, the pathology resolves on its own;
Arachnoid cysts appear as a cavity filled with fluid. If the identified lesion is larger than 3 mm, then it has a tendency to compress the brain. What leads to the development of epileptic seizures;
hemorrhage or traces thereof;
a focus of ischemia, which indicates that some part of the brain is not performing its functions well. This often causes serious deviations in the development of the child.

Preparation

No special preparations are required for a head ultrasound. The child will feel most comfortable in a well-fed state. However, it is advisable that at least half an hour pass between the study and the procedure. This condition is necessary to prevent regurgitation. You need to take a warm diaper with you. Reliable results can be obtained with the right psychological attitude. You should have a conversation with an older child on the eve of the examination.

The correct attitude of the child will help to obtain reliable information

He needs to be told that the procedure will be painless. The baby must also be warned that the doctor will ask him to change the position of his neck and roll over. If a small patient takes medications aimed at improving blood circulation, then it is better to stop taking them on the day of the test.

Carrying out the procedure

Brain research is carried out in the following stages. The child should be placed on the couch in such a way that he behaves as calmly as possible during the examination. To distract him, you can take your favorite toy with you. The only condition for obtaining the correct result is to ensure complete immobility of the head. Therefore, parents need to hold the baby’s head as tightly as possible.

A specialist will apply a pediatric examination gel to the baby’s head. It differs from what is used to examine adults. The children's gel is hypoallergenic. It improves the signal by removing excess air layer between the sensor and the skin. Next, the doctor moves the sensor, examining the parameters of the brain structures, as well as the tissues surrounding them. Typically, diagnosing the brain with ultrasound is carried out by examining the anterior fontanel.

In addition, there are secondary windows for visualization, which include the coronal suture, anterolateral fontanel, and posterior fontanel. Thanks to preventive ultrasound examination of the brain, it has become possible to timely determine the presence of various anomalies in children. This makes it possible to begin early treatment and improve the prognosis of the disease.

What does an ultrasound scan of the vessels of the head and neck show? This procedure is an informational type of study of arterial and venous branches passing outside the cranial cavity. They are responsible for the normal functioning of the brain, its nutrition and blood flow. The study may be prescribed when neurological symptoms begin to bother you. It is advisable to carry out the study as planned; this is done in order to minimize the risk of developing serious diseases. Minimal preparation is required before the test, and the average duration may vary from 30 to 40 minutes. The result can be obtained immediately, and the attending physician will help decipher it.

During ultrasound diagnostics, specialists distinguish 2 main levels: the vessels of the neck and the brain.

How is the research going? What features can be identified? Which persons will be contraindicated for diagnosis? Answers to these and more questions can be found below.

In order to determine the current clinical picture of the patient, it is advisable to conduct a comprehensive study of both levels, that is, the vertebral and cervical arteries, since there is a direct connection between them. The cervical blood flow is an intermediate stage of blood moving from the heart to the brain, and the cerebral blood flow is the result of this process.

It is possible to diagnose disorders at any of these levels, which is why thorough investigation is so important. The first stage is aimed at studying the condition of the cervical vessels:

Examination of all carotid arteries, as well as their main branches.
Analysis of the condition of the spinal arteries, which are located at the cervical level of the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae. They carry blood to the target parts of the brain.

The examination can reveal possible obstacles, which can be either congenital or acquired. At the cervical level, you can often see tortuous vessels that can form “loops,” as well as tortuous passages formed by osteochondrosis.

You can see narrowing of the arteries, both congenital and acquired. During the study, it is possible to establish the narrowed diameter of the vessel, as well as a possible inflammatory process that caused negative changes. In addition, atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots could form in the vessels, which could block the lumen of the artery itself. The doctor examines in detail the jugular and vertebral veins of the neck, determining the degree of outflow of venous blood from the brain to the heart.

At the second stage, a detailed study of the arteries and veins that are located in the brain begins. The procedure is performed transcranially, that is, through the cranial bones. The arteries that are located in the brain continue with the cervical ones, concentrating inside the skull itself. You can see the formation of two circulatory basins: caritodic and vertebrobasilar. Each of them has a number of differences that need to be considered:

The caritodic basin consists of the terminal branches of the internal carotid artery. The study itself is carried out through the temporal bone.
The vertebrobasilar basin consists of terminal segmented vertebral arteries. Entering the cranial cavity, they merge together.

This type of study helps to identify the results of the main indicators of cerebral blood flow. The blood supply may be unchanged or impaired due to detected problems with arterial blood flow (arterial spasm, insufficient blood flow). This type of study is called TCD, or transcranial ultrasound examination of cerebral vessels.

Doctors do not recommend examining only problems of the vertebral arteries and cerebral vessels. First, it is necessary to determine the state of the entire blood flow and the peculiarities of the development of the cervical arteries, since a number of obstacles may appear that block the flow of blood.

If only the vertebral artery is examined, then the study will not be considered complete, since the resulting indicators of the cerebral and cervical structures will not be taken into account.

The need for a separate study of the cervical arteries arises in the case of a dynamic increase in atherosclerotic thrombi and plaques, which can be detected in the early stages of development. This is done in order to send the patient to vascular surgeons as soon as possible.

Doppler ultrasound can help examine individual levels of blood flow. For example, the neck or the brain, but this is considered not quite the right solution.

Features of ultrasound examination

Among the features of the ultrasound examination are:

Efficiency.
Information content.
Safety (it is not contraindicated even for a small child).
Simplicity.
Rapidity.

When is this diagnostic method prescribed?

In order to clarify the state of cerebral blood flow, it is advisable to conduct research only if the following problems occur:

Strong headache.
Decreased activity and loss of strength.
Insomnia.
Deterioration in the quality of vision and hearing.
Ringing in the ears and head.
Stress and neuroses.

In order to prevent a stroke, it is necessary to conduct preventive studies that can identify blood clots and atherosclerotic plaques. Doppler ultrasound is indicated for the following groups of patients:

Age over 40 years.
Cardiac ischemia.
Diabetes.
Diseases of the urinary system.
Patients who have suffered a stroke/heart attack.

Duplex scanning cannot provide high information content. Having understood how ultrasound scanning is done, we can identify its competitive features. If primary symptoms are detected, you should immediately seek help from a doctor, who, through diagnosis, will be able to determine the possible cause of the disease and prescribe comprehensive treatment.

The brain is responsible for coordinating the work of the entire body. A reliable way to obtain information about the structure and functioning of the baby’s brain structures, to conduct NSG / neurosonography / of the brain with determination of the nature of blood flow in the vessels / Doppler ultrasound /

Currently, almost all children undergo NSG in the maternity hospital as a screening method.

To monitor the dynamics of the baby’s development and brain development disorders, repeated examination is recommended in order to exclude congenital or acquired abnormalities. This is especially true for children from the group of premature, low birth weight, immature for gestational age.

Indications for NSG and Ultrasound Doppler Doppler:

intrauterine hypotrophy;
intrauterine infections;
previously identified brain defects;
pathology in hypoxic, ischemic, toxic and metabolic disorders of the brain;
birth injuries of the brain and spinal cord;
seizures and other symptoms of neurological diseases;
multiple malformations of organs and systems;
genetic diseases.

To assess the blood circulation of the brain in children after the “closure” of the fontanel, modern ultrasound techniques are used - transcranial Dopplerography. In some cases, this technique makes it possible to clarify the cause of headaches in children (angiospasm, increased intracranial pressure). Transcranial Dopplerography allows you to examine large vessels of the head and neck, see the lumen of the vessel, the degree of patency of veins and arteries. This method is absolutely painless and has no contraindications, which makes this procedure possible for young children.

Almost every year in modern medicine there are more and more opportunities for the most accurate examination and development of the most effective treatment regimens.

The invention of ultrasound scanning opened a new page in world diagnostic practice. This ultrasound examination method is based on the use of the Doppler effect. A special device sends ultrasound in the direction of the vessel being studied. Reflecting from moving red blood cells, the ultrasonic wave changes its frequency. The computer analyzes the difference in frequency indicators, on the basis of which it deciphers it and provides information on the computer monitor about the speed of blood movement in the studied area of the blood flow, the direction of its movement, and the volume being moved. This data, graphically displayed on the screen, allows you to assess the general condition of the vessels and the quality of blood flow in them.

Patients of the First Doctor clinic can undergo Doppler ultrasound of any area, including the vessels of the head and neck.

What does ultrasound examination of blood vessels show?

Thus, ultrasound examination at the First Doctor clinic is used for:

Early detection of disturbances in the vascular system.
Diagnosis of stenosis and determination of the degree of its development.
Studies of the walls of blood vessels.
Definitions of disorders in the carotid arteries and aorta.
Assessment of the state of venous blood flow.
Studies of the condition of the veins and arteries of the arms and legs, etc.

Indications for ultrasound examination

Ultrasound Dopplerography of the vessels of the neck and head is prescribed if there are signs of cerebrovascular accident. They may present with the following symptoms:

fainting;
systematic headaches;
dizziness when turning the head sharply;
migraine;
noise and ringing in the ears;
rapid fatigue for no reason;
causeless sleep disorders;
psycho-emotional disorders.

Ultrasound scanning of the neck and head is also shown:

with vegetative-vascular dystonia;
after suffering traumatic brain injuries;
as a preventive diagnostic measure for persons at risk of developing vascular pathologies of the brain - smokers, hypertensive patients, and obese people.

Ultrasound Dopplerography of vessels and veins of the extremities is done for varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, diabetes mellitus and a number of other chronic pathologies. Indications for the procedure are systematic cramps in the arms or legs, the appearance of pain in the calf muscles, palpable thickening of the veins, swelling of the legs, changes in the skin and other manifestations.

Modern methods of ultrasound scanning of blood vessels

Duplex ultrasound- double scanning, combining Doppler ultrasound and classical ultrasound. A two-dimensional visualization of blood vessels is displayed on the monitor. A detailed b/w image allows doctors to determine where in the veins and arteries there are problems in the blood flow, what condition the vascular walls are in, whether there are blockages and other pathologies in their lumens.

Triplex (triple) ultrasound scanning- an extended version of the duplex method. The graphic image of the vessel is presented here in color. Color mapping allows the doctor to better assess the nature of blood flow, the degree of development of the auxiliary network of blood vessels in the head, and increase the accuracy of diagnosis.

Transcranial Dopplerography (TCDG)- method of studying cerebral vessels. Intracranial scanning is performed through the so-called. acoustic windows - places through which ultrasound is able to penetrate into the skull - these are the eye orbits, temples, the area of the articulation of the spine with the occipital bone.

Thus, when studying the internal blood flow of the brain, transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCDG) is performed. To study the vessels of the neck, duplex or triplex scanning methods are used. Doppler ultrasound is an effective means of diagnosing the condition of the aorta and renal vessels, as well as the vessels of the upper and lower extremities.

Advantages of Doppler ultrasound:

high information content and versatility of the methodology;
the ability to study blood movement in deep vessels;
the procedure is completely painless and there is no radiation exposure;
the ability to diagnose pathologies at the earliest stages;
no contraindications for patients of any age;
affordable cost in comparison with similar methods.

Ultrasound scanning of head vessels for children

The procedure has found wide use in perinatal diagnostics and pediatrics. It is carried out to diagnose intrauterine abnormalities in the development of cerebral vessels. The capabilities of the method are used to examine newborn children with suspected perinatal encephalopathy.

Doppler ultrasound examination of the brachiocephalic vessels - the main arteries of the head - is prescribed for traumatic brain injuries, residual manifestations of perinatal encephalopathy, and injuries to the cervical vertebrae. Indications for diagnosing a child may include delayed speech development, memory impairment, increased fatigue, and emotional disinhibition.

Carrying out the procedure at the First Doctor clinic in Moscow

In the “First” network of medical centers, ultrasound examinations are carried out by qualified diagnosticians, in comfortable conditions, using modern equipment with advanced visualization capabilities. Diagnostics at the First Doctor clinic means reasonable prices, saving personal time and high standards of medical service in Moscow.

Preparation for the procedure is discussed with the patient at a preliminary appointment; in some cases, for example, ultrasound examination of the vessels of the head, neck or extremities, no special preparation is required. The patient lies down on the couch, the doctor examines the area being diagnosed and treats it with a special gel, the field of which runs the device’s sensor over the skin, scanning the desired area of the body. The procedure does not cause any sensations; The gel is easily wiped off without leaving any traces or odor.

At the end of the study, doctors prepare a detailed report. It lists the examined vessels, indicates the obtained digital indicators and other data. If the results deviate from the norm, a competent medical diagnosis is formulated and the necessary recommendations are given, taking into account the individual clinical picture.

First Doctor clinics are located at the following addresses:

Moscow, Kutuzovskaya metro station, st. Kyiv, 22
Moscow, Otradnoe metro station, Severny Boulevard, 7B

You can make an appointment by phone, on the website, or request a call back.

Our specialists will not only make an appointment for you as soon as possible, but will also explain in detail the nuances of preparation, if necessary, clarify the cost of the procedure, professionally conduct the study, providing you with a detailed transcript of ultrasound examination of blood vessels in printed form and no less detailed oral explanations for it.