top of page

VUA Ultrasound Criteria 

Each diagnostic imaging centre will use their own grading criteria for vascular disease. It can be very confusing which criteria has been used if only a stenosis grading is given with no further explanation. At VUA we are completely transparent about our grading criteria which is present on all of our worksheets, as well as our website so you can also review the progression of a stenosis based on increasing velocities. Below are the current criteria we use (last updated May 2023).

​

Carotid Criteria
carotid criteria
external carotid artery and common carotid artery VUA criteria
Carotid

ASUM Standards of Practice: Duplex Doppler Ultrasound Extracranial Carotid Artery Disease. Version 3; Approved Nov 2021. 

ASUM SOP: Statement on Extracranial Cerebrovascular Ultrasound. Reaffirmed July 2007

Aneurysm Criteria
Aneurysm criteria
iliac artery aneurysm criteria
upper limb criteria
Aneuysm
Aorta and Iliac Artery Criteria
artery stenosis criteria
Aorta and Iliac Arts
Lower Limb Arterial Criteria
lower limb arterial stenosis criteria
Leg Ars

ASUM SOP: Statement on the Peripheral Arterial Ultrasound. Reaffirmed July 2007

Upper Limb Arterial Criteria
upper limb criteria
Upper Limb Arts
Pressure Studies Criteria
pressure study criteria
Pressure Studies
Renal Artery Criteria
renal artery criteria
Renal Arts

ASUM SOP: Visceral Vascular Testing Using Ultrasound. Revised July 2007

Transplant Renal Artery Criteria
renal tx criteria
Tx Kidney
Mesenteric Artery Criteria
mesenteric criteria
msenteric
EVAR Endoleak Types

Increasing aneurysm sac size may be suggestive of an endoleak. The endoleak types are as follows:

​

Type 1:

Inadequate seal between the graft and artery

  • 1A: Proximal attachment 

  • 1B: Distal attachment 

  • 2C: Iliac attachment 

​

Type 2:

Retrograde flow into sac via a branch vessel (eg.lumbar and/or IMA vessels)

  • 2A: One Vessel involved

  • 2B: Two or more vessels involved 

 

Type 3:

  • 3A: Separation of the graft components 

  • 3B: Graft fabric tear, fracture or hole

​

Type 4:

Leak thorough the graft material itself due to graft porosity 

​

Type 5: 

Endotension

  • No leak seen however continued increase in residual sac size observed

EVAR
Dialysis AVF Criteria

RED - Inflow (minimum diameter required):

Inadequate seal between the graft and artery

  • Arteries: Proximal to the anastomosis

    • >2mm Radial artery 

    • > 4mm Brachial artery

  • Anastomosis: >2.7mm

  • Swing Vein: First ~5cm from the anastomosis >2.7mm

​

GREEN - Useable fistula:

  • Useable segment of fistula for dialysis. 

    • >8cm length, >5mm diameter, <10mm depth​

 

BLUE - Outflow:

  • Remaining superficial vein and central veins

  • 3B: Graft fabric tear, fracture or hole

​

Stenosis

Absolute diameter <2.7mm or PSV ratio >2.0

​

Aneurysm

True aneurysm: >20mm autogenous dilation

False aneurysm: Any dilation in prosthetic graft or vessel false lumen 

​

Volume Flow

Measured across the inflow artery before the the anastomosis site

>500ml/min suggests functioning fistula

<500ml/min suggests impending fistula failure

AVF sections
AVF
bottom of page