[Color-coded blood flow imaging in abdominal vessels]

Color Flow Imaging (CFI) of abdominal vessels is an important enrichment of clinical diagnostic possibilities. Main indications of CFI are detection of unusual collaterals and spontaneous portosystemic shunts in advanced liver disease, tumor vessels, vascular anomalies, aneurysms and dissection of visceral vessels, atherosclerotic and malignant stenosis of visceral vessels, monitoring of transplanted organs. In 205 patients, preselected by conventional sonography, CFI revealed 107 additional vascular findings. Of these, 10.2% were not expected. In 2.9%, unexpected serious vascular findings occurred. Before ultrasonically guided biopsy, CFI identified potential risks in 13 patients (1.14%). The bleeding risk of liver tumors decreased from 1.2% to 0.2% by consequent use of CFI.