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Carotid Doppler ultrasound: indications and procedure

Doppler ultrasound of the arteries supplying the head and neck is a non-invasive examination. It assesses the walls of the neck arteries and blood flow towards the brain, particularly in the carotid and vertebral arteries.

Main indications

It may be requested for a neck bruit, a suspected or previous transient ischaemic attack or stroke, known atherosclerosis, or follow-up of previously identified carotid disease. The decision depends on the clinical context and does not replace a prior medical assessment.

What does the examination look for?

Doppler can detect atherosclerotic plaques, assess their effect on blood flow and evaluate possible arterial narrowing. Interpretation considers ultrasound images, blood flow velocities and the complete cardiovascular history.

What happens during the examination?

You lie on your back with your neck exposed. After gel is applied, an ultrasound probe is moved over the skin. The examination is painless, with no injection or radiation. It usually takes a few tens of minutes, depending on the areas being assessed.

After the examination

Findings are interpreted with your symptoms, cardiovascular risk factors and history. Monitoring, changes to cardiovascular prevention or advice from a neurologist, radiologist or vascular surgeon may be proposed in coordination with your GP.

Sudden weakness on one side, sudden speech difficulty, facial asymmetry or sudden loss of vision requires an immediate call to 15 in France. A scheduled Doppler appointment must not delay emergency care.

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