Three-dimensional doppler ultrasound in gynecology

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of ultrasound images was first demonstrated nearly 15 years ago but only now is becoming a clinical reality. In the meantime, methods for 3D reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have achieved an advanced state of development, and 3D imaging with these modalities has been applied widely in clinical practice. Three-dimensional applications in ultrasound have lagged behind CT and MRI, because ultrasound data is much more difficult to render in 3D, for a variety of technical reasons, than either CT or MRI data. Only in the past few years has the computing power of ultrasound equipment reached a level adequate enough for the complex signal processing tasks needed to render ultrasound data in three dimensions. Within the past years several new ultrasound techniques have appeared. Three-dimensional ultrasound scanning, in which there has been great interest, is one of them [1]. Especially within obstetrics and gynecology several papers on that topic describe promising results. Gynecologic diagnostics relying on morphologic signs and accurate distance and volume measurements is one of the areas believed to benefit from 3D ultrasound; however, until now only few prospective works have been published, most of them counted as preliminary. One of the main reasons might be the huge technologic challenge. It is proposed that technologic progress over the next few years will allow feasible real-time 3D scanning. Gynecologic ultrasound scanning will thereby undoubtedly take another giant leap forward. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.