Three-dimensional ultrasonic angiography is a new power Doppler ultrasonographic imaging mode that appears to improve the visualization of vascular anatomy in abdominal sonography. This study illustrates the utility of three-dimensional ultrasonic angiography in the abdomen, especially with respect to liver and portal vein anatomy, vascularization of the kidney, and vessels localized in the retroperitoneum. Key words: 3D; abdomen; Doppler; liver; shunt; ultrasonography. Received December 10, 1999, 1,2 However, the documentation of complex anatomic structures in 1 picture by conventional two-dimensional (2D) imaging is difficult. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonic angiography is a new power Doppler ultrasonographic imaging mode that appears to improve the visualization of vascular anatomy in abdominal sonography.3-5 The aim of this study was to illustrate the utility of 3D ultrasonic angiography in the abdomen.
Materials and Methods
Background of the Technology of 3D Power Doppler SonographyThree-dimensional ultrasonic angiograms are produced from a series of 2D power mode Doppler ultrasonographic scans, which are acquired using a transducer and imaging registration hardware. [3][4][5] There are 2 different types of scanning: mechanical and freehand. 6 In mechanical scanning a motor-driven assembly is used to move the transducer linearly across the skin, yielding a set of parallel 2D images. In freehand scanning there are 3 main ultrasonic transducer-locating systems under evaluation: acoustic and electromagnetic positioning devices, which are attached to the ultrasonic transducer to record the position and orientation of each 2D image