The cerebral arteries are the blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the brain tissue. The three main pairs are the anterior cerebral arteries, the middle cerebral arteries, and the posterior cerebral arteries, all of which connect through the circle of Willis at the base of the brain. In transcranial Doppler ultrasound, these arteries are evaluated by directing the ultrasound beam through thin areas of the skull, called acoustic windows, to measure blood flow velocities. Abnormal velocities can indicate vasospasm, stenosis, or changes in blood flow caused by disease elsewhere in the cerebrovascular system.
Sonography Term