ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Acta Phlebologica 2014 August;15(2):57-67

Copyright © 2014 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Symbolism and terminology of EchoColorDoppler map reporting of the main veins draining the brain: recommendations for a protocol

Mandolesi S. ¹, D’Alessandro A. ⁴, Manconi E. ², Niglio T. ³, Orsini A. ⁵, Avruscio G. ⁶, Bruno A. ⁷, Bernardo B. ⁷, Fedele F. ¹

¹ Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ² Department of Cardiovascular and Neurological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; ³ Istituto Superiore di Sanità Roma, Rome, Italy; ⁴ ”T. Masselli‑Mascia” Hospital, San Severo, Foggia, Italy; ⁵ Gioia Hospital, Sora, Frosinone, Italy; ⁶ Department of Angiology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ⁷ Department of Vascular Surgery, Clinica Gepos, Telese, Benevento, Italy

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a syndrome characterized by reflux, stenoses or flow block of the internal jugular, vertebral and/or azygos veins with disturbed flow and formation of collateral venous channels. The EchoColorDoppler (ECD) to assess the CCSVI is a very difficult and long examination, it needs about an hour of work for an expert sonographer. It is: venous ECD assessment of the main veins draining the brain in supine position, venous ECD assessment in upright position, Manconi breathing test, neck rotation test, Valsalva maneuver, transcranical deep veins assessment and 3rd ventricle measure. The real problem of the assessment is to remember the CCSVI five criteria that may cause frequently many mistakes. To collect by the same standard procedure the ECD assessment on map report we propose the use of a shared terminology and specific symbols that are shown here. The National Epidemiological Observatory on CCSVI (www.osservatorioccsvi.org) uses, for ECD data collection in its computerized platform, the program MEM-net, that works on internet, and with its algorithm makes a blind control of ECD report and avoids the figure of the audit so eliminate another possible human error and subjective interpretation of the assessment.