Correlation of Doppler US tumor signals with neovascular morphologic features.

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Abstract
Abnormal Doppler ultrasound signals were detected in 44 of 47 patients with primary malignant tumors of the liver, kidney, adrenal gland, or pancreas (94%). Two different signal types were noted: a high-velocity signal (n = 38) with Doppler shifts exceeding 3 kHz (at an insonating frequency of 3 MHz) and a very low-impedance signal (n = 9) demonstrating little systolic-diastolic variation. In three patients, both types were present. In 19 patients, histologic (n = 12) and/or angiographic (n = 16) correlation was available. Among 13 patients with angiographic studies and signals over 3 kHz, arteriovenous shunting was demonstrated in six. The ratio of the systolic to diastolic Doppler shift is a function of vascular impedance. This systolic/diastolic index was less than 3 in eight patients with histologic correlation. All eight had prominent vascular spaces, and the flow in such thin-walled, endothelium-lined spaces would account for the low-impedance signals. Of nine patients with systolic/diastolic indexe...