The present study was carried out on a total of 56 patients, consisting of 8 patients prior to CEA (carotid endarterectomy) and 48 patients after CEA. Before or after ultrasonography in all of the patients, cerebrovas-cular angiography was performed. In the long-term follow-up of 48 patients after CEA (mean duration; 3.8 years), occlusion of the internal carotid artery was detected in 2 patients (4.2%) and images of 30%-50% recurrence of stenosis were found in 3 patients (6.2%) . In the patients not found to have stenosis, the endarter-ectomy portion of the carotid artery had an image of low sensitivity on the ultrasonogram, and this finding was interpreted as indicating that the vascular wall had become thinner. With regard to the 8 patients who experienced ultrasonography by prior to CEA, the findings of the ultrasonograms and the macroscopic findings of the excised atheromatous plaques, in all 8, were in agreement. In some cases, necrotic or fresh hemorrhagic lesions could be clearly distinguished in the blood vessel wall.
With ultrasonography, this procedure and this diagnostic technique can be performed repeatedly since it is non-invasive. Accordingly, we conclude that ultrasonography is a useful procedure for diagnosis prior to, and evaluation subsequent to CEA.