Book Review: An Atlas of Ultrasound Color Flow Imaging

Abstract

1997, 304 pp., Illustrations: 796 color, 9 black/white, 14 line artworks.As a medical imaging modality, the uses for ultrasound increase all the time. The development of color Doppler imaging to evaluate vasculature has further increased the use of diagnostic ultrasound. An Atlas of Ultrasound Color Imaging was written to provide an understanding of the established and potential uses of color flow imaging throughout the body. Its purpose is not to provide an all-inclusive text, but to provide the sonographer and sonologist with a resource for normal and abnormal color Doppler and spectral waveform information for the different vascular systems in the body.The book is divided into eight chapters. The first three chapters deal with the physical principles of Doppler ultrasound and color flow imaging and the hemodynamics of blood as it is imaged by Doppler ultrasound. The remaining chapters concentrate on specific applications of color flow imaging, such as abdominal, obstetrics and gynecology, superficial structures, and peripheral vascular imaging. The last chapter is devoted to contrast-enhanced color flow imaging. The book is 304 pages long and contains approximately 800 color illustrations. Each chapter concludes with a list of references for further reading.Chapter one provides a good overview of Doppler physics and is essential to understanding the material that follows. Although many individuals using this book will already have an appropriate background in ultrasound physics, I think they will find this review useful and well presented. A brief history of Doppler ultrasound is included along with an explanation of the Doppler equation and its components. The mechanical components of ultrasound equipment necessary to develop a Doppler signal are also explained.There are several tables that provide a quick reference on ways to optimize Doppler signals, such as techniques to avoid aliasing. The advantages and disadvantages of continuous wave versus pulse wave Doppler are also listed. Diagrams accompany many of the color flow and gray scale illustrations, to help the reader appreciate why certain images appear as they do.The final part of this chapter deals with the physics of color amplitude imaging (color power or power Doppler). This was of particular interest because of its increasing use in detecting low velocity blood now.Chapters two and three apply the principles of Doppler to vascular imaging. Several examples are provided to show how color flow imaging can be a useful part of a routine ultrasound examination.Explanations of color scale, aliasing, and correlation with spectral Doppler are provided. There are side-by-side comparisons showing how adjusting technical factors can optimize image information, or in some cases lead to misdiagnosis. Chapter 2 is particularly useful for someone just beginning to familiarize themselves with color now imaging.The third chapter concentrates on waveform analysis and how hemodynamics in different vessels are displayed on color and pulse wave Doppler images. There ar...