I. Trop et al., Soft-tissue venous malformations in pediatric and young adult patients: Diagnosis with Doppler US, RADIOLOGY, 212(3), 1999, pp. 841-845
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology ,Nuclear Medicine & Imaging","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
PURPOSE: To describe the diagnostic features, appearance, and vascularizati
on pattern of venous malformations (VMs) at Doppler ultrasonography (US).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1991 and May 1997, 51 softt-tissue
VMs were studied with Doppler US in patients between 1 day and 21 years of
age (mean age, 9 years). These VMs were located in the maxillofacial region
(n = 19), trunk (n = 5), and upper (n = 10) and lower (n = 17) extremities
. Twenty-three VMs had venographic confirmation, seven had only histologic
confirmation, and 21 had both venographic and histologic confirmation. US w
as performed with 7.5- or 7-10-MHz linear transducers, a low pulse repetiti
on frequency (mean, 1,680 Hz), and the lowest wall filter (25-50 Hz).
RESULTS: At gray-scale US VMs appeared as hypoechoic, heterogeneous lesions
in 82% of cases. All lesions displayed compressibility. In eight lesions (
16%), phleboliths were identified, thus confirming the diagnosis of VM. Ana
lysis of vascular flow revealed monophasic, law-velocity flow in 40 VMs (78
%), with an average flow velocity of 0.22 kHz. Biphasic flow was noted at t
he periphery of three lesions,which is indicative of a mixed capillary-veno
us malformation. The remaining eight lesions did not display any flow.
CONCLUSION: In pediatric patients, Doppler US is a noninvasive, easily avai
lable, and rapid mode of investigation of vascular lesions and can help con
firm the diagnosis of VM when it shows a characteristic flow pattern.