NEW COLOR DOPPLER TECHNIQUE FOR DETECTING TURBULENT TUMOR BLOOD-FLOW - A POSSIBLE AID TO HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA DIAGNOSIS

We created a new imaging technique that detects and emphasizes turbule nce, which is a characteristic of blood flow in hepatocellular carcino ma. We devised two indices that determine a characteristic tumor flow, the bi-directional and low-peak indices. In the phantom study, both i ndices of turbulence caused by a stenosis were much higher. In the cli nical study, both indices were significantly higher in tumors than in the portal vein or hepatic vein. A turbulent blood flow was detected i n 77% of tumors, whereas such detection seldom occurred in the portal or hepatic vein. This technique has the potential to distinguish turbu lence in hepatocellular carcinoma. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.