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566 I. Zalud, L. D. Platt
Fig. 38.6. Tumoral vessels network in ovarian mass reconstructed
by 3D Doppler
of this new technique include the analysis of vascular
anatomy and the potential assessment of organ perfusion.
The latest application is intra-vascular study.
Some catheters with an ultrasound transducer in the
tip have been tested for intra-vascular studies. Just
like conventional transducers, they provide 2D images
which are then postprocessed into longitudinal 3D or
volume reconstructions. The former resemble angiographic
images and can be viewed 3D rotating the
image along its longitudinal axis. Volume images,
which are more complex and slower to obtain, can be
rotated on any spatial plane and provide rich detailing
of the internal vascular lumen. The clinical importance
of intravascular ultrasound with 3D volume
reconstructions lies in the diagnosis of vascular conditions
and the assessment and monitoring of intravascular
interventional procedures, e.g., to detect inaccurate
deployment of intravascular stents and endoluminal
grafts during the maneuver. Three-dimensional
reconstructions involve geometric data assembly
and volumetric interpolation of a spatially related
sequence of tomographic cross sections generated by
an ultrasound catheter withdrawn at a constant rate
through a vascular segment of interest, resulting in
the display of a straight segment; therefore, particular
care is needed and there are some useful hints to
avoid mistakes.
Three-dimensional reconstructions of B-mode and
Doppler images are no longer a work in progress and
their clinical importance and possible applications
are both established and ever-increasing. On the
Fig. 38.7. The spatial relationships between the vascular structures of ectopic pregnancy and Fallopian tubes as studied
by 3D Doppler ultrasound