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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer Detection and Diagnosis > Introduction to Ultrasound Imaging > Ultrasound: Doppler Ultrasound

Ultrasound: Doppler Ultrasound

A Doppler ultrasound which is often included as a part of an ultrasound breast exam, allows visualization of blood flow (or lack of blood flow) in a breast mass. It allows the physician to assess the blood supply in a breast lesion.⁽¹⁾ There are three types of Doppler ultrasounds:

• Color Doppler- the computer uses measurements from the ultrasound machine to produce an image with many colors so that the speed and direction of blood flow can be seen.
• Power Doppler- this is a recently developed technique that is more sensitive than the color Doppler. The power Doppler can provide more information and detail about blood flow, and is exceptionally good for visualization of vessels located inside organs.
• Spectral Doppler- this imaging technique provides a graphic display of blood flow in terms of distance traveled per unit of time.

Doppler ultrasounds are important in the diagnosis of breast lesions because a malignant (cancerous) mass is likely to have blood flow irregularities.^{(2) (3)}

Shown below is a normal Doppler ultrasound of a liver

 

 

Image courtesy of Brent Burbridge MD, Saskatoon Medical Imaging, Saskatoon Canada

References for this page:

1. "Breast Ultrasound" Radiology Info (07-10-2007) [http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=breastus]
2. "Ultrasound- General." Radiology Info (07-10-2007) [http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=genus&bhcp=1]
3. Peters-Engl C. et al. "The use of colour-coded and spectral Doppler ultrasound in the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions." Br J Cancer. (1995) Jan;71(1):137-9. [PUBMED]