B-MODE COLOR SONOGRAPHIC IMAGES IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY - PRELIMINARY-REPORT

The standard B-mode image shows 256 levels of gray, but the human eye can only differentiate 8-16 shades of gray. Color vision theoretically has several advantages in comparison with gray scale, because the hum an eye can distinguish 128 fully saturated hues and about 350 000 shad es. In 1992, B-mode color maps were introduced in our clinical practic e, to establish whether this technology was able to detect the smalles t contrast differences better than the gray-scale map and therefore to increase diagnostic accuracy. This paper describes our experience wit h the technique and reports B-mode color images of clinical complicati ons in obstetrics and gynecology. We use the color figures to illustra te this new technology and to demonstrate the advantages of the increa sed sensitivity of the human eye to color in different clinical situat ions. We conclude that the use of B-mode color maps does not change th e ultrasonic diagnosis, but does enhance our ability to study and eval uate the morphological structure of different tissues, compared to the gray-scale map alone.