A neurologist prescribes an echo of the head for many of his patients. It stands for echoencephalography and is a non-invasive procedure in which the brain is examined and the sensitivity of its various sections to ultrasound is determined. Many patients ask the question: "If the doctor recommends an ECHO of the head, what does this examination show?" In this way, pathologies of the brain that are capable of threatening life are revealed: hemorrhages, tumors, abscesses, injuries. Let us consider this procedure in more detail.
What is echoencephalography?
ECHO of the head is a safe and fairly informative method for examining the brain using ultrasound in both adults and children. Such waves, having a frequency of 0.5-15 MG c / s, easily pass through various tissues of the body and are reflected from any surfaces located near the borders of tissues with different compositions (brain substance, skull bones, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, soft tissues of the head).
As a result of such a study, pathological structures (various hematomas and abscesses, foreign bodies, crush sites, cysts) may well be reflective surfaces. With the help of echoencephalography, the arteries and veins of the patient are also examined and the patency of the vessels of the brain is checked . Such a procedure easily reveals a violation of blood flow, which can lead subsequently to serious diseases.
In what cases is echoencephalography prescribed for adults?
Such a procedure for adults is prescribed to detect formations with the following pathologies:
- tumors;
- abscesses;
- head injury;
- intracranial hematoma;
- hydrocephalus;
- headache;
- Dizziness
- intracranial hypertension;
- other cerebral diseases.
In addition, an echo examination of the head is prescribed to diagnose some other diseases. It:
- neck injuries;
- VVD;
- blood flow disturbance;
- vertebrobasilar insufficiency;
- cerebral ischemia;
- bruises and concussion;
- noise in ears;
- encephalopathy;
- stroke.
In what cases is echoencephalography prescribed for children?
In children who are under the age of 1.5 years, the fontanel is not yet overgrown, so using this procedure you can fully examine all parts of the brain.
ECHO of the head is prescribed to the child in the following cases:
- in order to assess the degree of hydrocephalus;
- if sleep is severely disturbed;
- to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy for diseases of a neurological nature;
- if nerve tics pester;
- with a delay in physical development;
- if muscle hypertonicity is detected;
- with stuttering and enuresis;
- in case of a head injury.
Preparation for Echoencephalography
To make an ECHO of the head in adults and children, no preparation is required. You can take any food and liquid. You can do this procedure at any age, as well as during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Only if there is an open wound on the head in those places where the sensor will be superimposed, is it best to use another type of examination - computed or MR imaging.
If an echoencephalography of the brain is carried out by a small child, his parents should come to the rescue, who should keep his head in one position for some time.
Although this method is absolutely painless, during the procedure it is necessary to change the scanning plane many times, and the head should not move. Sedation and anesthesia during the procedure are not required.
How is the study conducted?
How do ECHO heads? For this, the patient must be in a supine position, but in some cases the procedure is carried out while sitting. Examination begins with the right lateral, and then the left side of the head, from the forehead to the occipital region. This research method is often used as an emergency diagnosis, so the size of the devices is small, they are easy to carry.
One-dimensional echoencephalography can be performed in the doctor’s office, in the ambulance, on the street and at home, if the device is equipped with a battery. The study lasts 10-15 minutes and is carried out in two modes.
The first mode is transmission. With this method, two ultrasound sensors are used that are installed on the same axis simultaneously from two sides of the head. One probe in this case sends a signal, and the other receives it. Thus, the "middle line of the head" is calculated. Usually, it coincides with the anatomical middle line, but this dependence disappears with soft tissue injuries, as well as in the case of blood accumulation in the cranial cavity or under the periosteum.
The second mode is emission. In this case, only one sensor is used, installed at points where it is easier for ultrasound to penetrate the bones of the skull. This unit is slightly biased so that the image is more informative.
Two-dimensional echoencephalography is obtained as a result of the gradual movement of the sensor on the surface of the head. At the same time, the image of a horizontal section of the brain obtained by moving such a device appears on the monitor. For small foci of pathology, such a study is not accurate enough. In this case, it is best to carry out magnetic resonance imaging.
Deciphering the results
The results of ECHO of the head in both children and adults are treated the same. To decrypt the record of a specialist sonologist, you should know some theoretical questions.
So, normally echoencephalography consists of three signals, or “bursts,” called complexes.
The initial complex is the signal closest to the sensor. Its formation is carried out by ultrasound, which is reflected from the bones of the skull, skin with subcutaneous tissue and the surface structures of the brain.
The median complex (M-echo) is a signal received as a result of “collision” of ultrasound with such brain structures located in the middle between the hemispheres.
The final complex is a signal from the soft tissues of the head, bones of the skull, and the hard shell of the brain on the opposite side of the sensor.
Echoencephalography is a combination of these three main signals, which on a monitor or paper looks like a graph with the abscissa and ordinates.
Decoding ECHO of the head begins with an assessment of the following indicators:
- M-echo. Such a signal usually occupies a middle position between the two complexes. Allowed if it moves 1-2 mm. Many scientific studies prove that if there are neurological symptoms, then a shift of more than 0.6 mm should alert, and a person needs to undergo an additional examination.
- The signal from the third ventricle should not be split or expanded, since in this case it indicates increased intracranial pressure.
- The ripple of the M-echo should be within 10-30%. If it is increased to 50-70%, then this indicates hypertension-hydrocephalic syndrome.
- Between the M-echo and the initial complex, on the one hand, and the M-echo and the final signal, on the other, there should be the same number of smaller signals.
- The average Sellell Index (SI) in adults should be 3.9-4.1 or more. If it decreases below 3.8, this indicates the existence of increased intracranial pressure.
Other indicators
In addition, echoencephalography consists of the following indicators:
- The index of the third ventricle is 22-24. Less than 22 is a sign of hydrocephalus.
- The medial wall index is 4-5. If the indicator is greater than 5, then this indicates an increased pressure in the supratentorial space.
- If the M-echo is shifted by 5 mm or more with a stroke clinic in the early days, this indicates that it is hemorrhagic in nature. If the dislocation is absent or does not exceed 2.5 mm, then the stroke is ischemic.
- With a large displacement of the M-echo after a long course of the disease, if there are no signs of inflammation, a tumor is often detected. Elevated temperature, intoxication of the body, a sharp development of the disease and a large displacement of the M-echo indicate a brain abscess.
Since such a study has errors, a neurologist should decipher the results. Treatment is prescribed only if the doctor compares the echo picture with the symptoms of a person.
Features of echoencephalography
Any medical research by various devices and its interpretation of the results depends on the human factor. Each highly qualified specialist has a certain experience, thanks to which he can judge his data in his own way and there are times when the opinion of an ultrasound doctor does not coincide with the opinion of a neurologist. Therefore, a person after an echoencephalography should be examined by a highly professional specialist and, on the basis of such an examination, as well as the results of an ultrasound scan of the brain, treatment is prescribed.
ECHO head: where to do it?
There are so many options where you can get a brain examination. Ideally, first of all, you need to agree on the location of the procedure and the doctors - your treating neurologist and specialist who will carry out the diagnosis. In some cases, the attending neurologist conducts the echoencephalography directly, so you don’t have to go anywhere, since everything is carried out in one place.
Conclusion
Thus, we found out what the ECHO of the head is. Echoencephalography is performed to detect various pathological conditions of the brain. This procedure can be used by both adults and children, and is quite safe and informative. Thanks to this study, an accurate diagnosis is made and the localization of many pathological formations is determined. The procedure itself is relatively inexpensive, in addition, it takes a little time.