Ultrasound diagnostics in phlebology

SummarySince the introduction of the Doppler effect into clinical practice for the diagnosis of vascular and cardiac diseases, the technology has developed considerably. From the pencil probe (CW Doppler) to black and white duplex, PW Doppler, which was incorporated into a B-mode image, to colour duplex ultrasound (CDU) and beyond to more recent developments, such as power duplex and B-mode flow imaging. These terms are frequently confused with each other and medical reports refer to CDU as “venous Doppler” or “ultrasound of the leg veins”. This short outline attempts to clarify each term briefly in words and images.

Comparison of Colour Duplex Ultrasound with Computed Tomography to Measure the Maximum Abdominal Aortic Aneurysmal Diameter

Introduction. Maximum diameter of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the main indication for surgery. This study compared colour duplex ultrasound (CDU) and computed tomography (CT) in assessing AAA diameter.Patients and Methods. Patients were included if they had both scans performed within 90 days. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, pairedt-test, and limits of agreement (LOA) were calculated for the whole group. Subgroup analysis of small (<5.0 cm), medium (5.0–6.5 cm), and large (>6.5 cm) aneurysms was performed. APvalue of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results. 389 patients were included, giving 130 pairs of tests for comparison. Excellent correlation was in the whole group (r= 0.95) and in the subgroups (r= 0.94; 0.69; 0.96, resp.). Small LOA between the two imaging modalities was found in all subgroups.Conclusion. Small aneurysms can be accurately measured using CDU. CDU is preferable for small AAAs, but cannot supplant CT for planning aortic intervention.