Clinical-angiographic correlation of ophthalmodynamometry in patients with suspected carotid artery disease: a prospective study.

A prospective, clinical study was performed on patients with suspected carotid artery disease to compare the accuracy of compression and suction ophthalmodynamometry with carotid artery stenosis as determined by arteriography. Results were analyzed with respect to current criteria for classification and determination of "significant" carotid artery disease. Although our results suggest that the best correlation for both procedures with arteriography is a ratio of the corrected intraocular pressure to the systolic brachial blood pressure, these results were not statistically improved over those obtained using uncorrected systolic or diastolic values. Both suction and compression ophthalmodynamometry are equally accurate with levels approaching 80 percent; however, neither test is sensitive enough to be used alone as a screening technique. Arteriography remains the best procedure for the determination of carotid artery disease.