A POSSIBLE USE OF COLOR DOPPLER FLOW IMAGING IN PREDICTING THE CAUSE OF BLADDER HYPERTROPHY

The present study was designed to test the predictability of color Dop pler flow imaging of the bladder in determining the cause of bladder h ypertrophy. The blood flow in the anterior bladder wall was measured i n 35 patients with an abnormally increased ultrasound estimated bladde r weight (UEBW) of more than 35.0 g. Of these, 18 were diagnosed as ha ving infravesical obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (obs tructive group). The remaining 17 were diagnosed as having neurogenic bladder dysfunction (NB group). Scanning to detect blood flow was cont inued for 5 minutes, the bladder having been filled with 100 ml of sal ine. Blood flow was detected in 83.3% (15/18) of the obstructive group , compared to 23.5% (4/17) in the NE group (p<0.001). Infravesical obs truction was detected with a diagnostic accuracy of 80.0% (28/35) by c olor Doppler flow imaging. Color Doppler flow imaging was useful in pr edicting the cause of bladder hypertrophy in patients with abnormally increased UEBW. (C) 1997 Tohoku University Medical Press.