Carotid Ultrasound: All you need to know

Physicians are ordering more and more MRAs and CTAs during evaluation for patients with vascular disease.  Many feel that this has made ultrasonography unnecessary.  However like every imaging technique there are pros and cons.  Ultrasounds are easy to obtain, non-invasive, avoids contrast injection and allows convenient following of patients over time. In the right hands it provides a wealth of information that other imaging techniques cannot.