New horizons in doppler ultrasound technology: Relevance for obstetrical applications

Technologic advances and clinical research have been extending the scope of Doppler sonography and have resulted in the emergence of new diagnostic tools that show significant promise in clinical applications. This article aims to review some of these developments that are relevant for obstetrical practice. One of the major recent technical developments in ultrasound imaging is the ability to assess tissue deformation. This has led to several clinical applications including functional echocardiography that allows evaluation of myocardial function using Doppler and speckle tracking techniques, and sonoelastography, which is ultrasound evaluation of tissue stiffness. Another relevant innovation is power Doppler imaging of regional perfusion. With further critical investigations, these emerging techniques may evolve into useful clinical tools.