Abstract
Improvements in gray-scale ultrasound resolution and the proliferation of sensitive
duplex Doppler and color flow capabilities on modern ultrasound machines, as well
as the development of intravascular ultrasound systems, have rendered ultrasonography
valuable in the performance of diagnostic and interventional vascular procedures.
Advantages of ultrasonography include the general ones of portability, relatively
low cost, and lack of exposure to ionizing radiation. Ultrasound also confers more
specific advantages of accurate real-time visualization, localization, and characterization
of palpable and nonpalpable vascular structures, of adjacent anatomy and pathology,
and of angiographic devices, as well as rapid confimation and characterization of
blood flow. In this article, some of the techniques and applications relevant to this
powerful tool will be discussed.
Keywords:
Ultrasound - guidance - interventional procedures - angiography
