[The 10th anniversary of obstetric Doppler sonography--development and perspectives]

Using a review of the literature and own data, the paper describes the methods of obstetrical Doppler sonography, its technical development and its clinical application. The safety standards, physiological changes in vascular resistance and the clinical use of this new method were discussed and compared with the conventional methods. The technical perspective of the method seems to lie with the color flow duplex scanner and the possibility of computerized on-line evaluation. Clinically the method seems to be useful in the early detection of the hypoxic fetus. The Doppler sonography is assessed as an additive but valuable method.