Doppler Ultrasound

A Doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive test that can be used to estimate the

blood flow through your blood vessels by bouncing high-frequency sound
waves (ultrasound) off circulating red blood cells. A regular ultrasound uses
sound waves to produce images, but can't show blood flow.

A Doppler ultrasound may help diagnose many conditions, including:

Blood clots
Poorly functioning valves in your leg veins, which can cause blood or other
fluids to pool in your legs (venous insufficiency)
Heart valve defects and congenital heart disease
A blocked artery (arterial occlusion)
Decreased blood circulation into your legs (peripheral artery disease)
Bulging arteries (aneurysms)
Narrowing of an artery, such as in your neck (carotid artery stenosis)
A Doppler ultrasound can estimate how fast blood flows by measuring the
rate of change in its pitch (frequency). During a Doppler ultrasound, a
technician trained in ultrasound imaging (sonographer) presses a small
hand-held device (transducer), about the size of a bar of soap, against your
skin over the area of your body being examined, moving from one area to
another as necessary.

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This test may be done as an alternative to more-invasive procedures, such as
angiography, which involves injecting dye into the blood vessels so that they
show up clearly on X-ray images.

A Doppler ultrasound test may also help your doctor check for injuries to your
arteries or to monitor certain treatments to your veins and arteries.

There are different types of Doppler ultrasound tests. They include:

Color Doppler. This type of Doppler uses a computer to change sound waves
into different colors. These colors show the speed and direction of blood flow
in real time.
Power Doppler, a newer type of color Doppler. It can provide more detail of
blood flow than standard color Doppler. But it cannot show the direction of
blood flow, which can be important in some cases.
Spectral Doppler. This test shows blood flow information on a graph, rather
than color pictures. It can help show how much of a blood vessel is blocked.
Duplex Doppler. This test uses standard ultrasound to take images of blood
vessels and organs. Then a computer turns the images into a graph, as in
spectral Doppler.
Continuous wave Doppler. In this test, sound waves are sent and received
continuously. It allows for more accurate measurement of blood that flows at
faster speeds.
 Doppler Ultrasound
What is it used for?
Doppler ultrasound tests are used to help health care providers find out if you
have a condition that is reducing or blocking your blood flow. It may also be
used to help diagnose certain heart diseases. The test is most often used to:

Check heart function. It is often done along with an electrocardiogram, a test

that measures electrical signals in the heart.
Look for blockages in blood flow. Blocked blood flow in the legs can cause a
condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Check for blood vessel damage and for defects in the structure of the heart.
Look for narrowing of blood vessels. Narrowed arteries in arms and legs can
mean you have condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Narrowing
of arteries in the neck can mean you have a condition called carotid artery
stenosis.
Monitor blood flow after surgery.
Check for normal blood flow in a pregnant woman and her unborn baby.