Transcutaneous Doppler detector in the study of arterial and venous flow patterns.

The transcutaneous Doppler flow detector is not presently suited for volume quantitation. However, the arterial flow velocity profile has been established as a valuable procedure for the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease and assessment of abnormalities of peripheral flow that may result from cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac dysfunction. Distinctive, diagnostic arterial flow patterns in patients with hypertrophic subaortic stenosis and in patients with aortic insufficiency have been described. Occlusive venous disease in the popliteal vein and more proximal vessels can be diagnopsed with an accuracy that justifies the use of the Doppler ultrasound examination as a screening procedure in individuals subject to thrombophlebitis. It is reasonable to anticipate that future work with pulsed Doppler instruments will establish this technique of imaging as a practical clinical method for noninvasive arteriography.