Doppler color flow imaging of carotid body tumors.

Doppler color flow imaging is a new ultrasound method for the simultaneous spatial display of tissue and vessel morphology (B-mode echotomograms) and of color-coded blood flow velocity information (Doppler-mode analysis). This new method is particularly useful in the neck, not only for the assessment of brain arteries but also for the safe and valid identification of carotid paragangliomas compared with other neck tumors. Early clinical detection of carotid paragangliomas is difficult since these lesions often occur sporadically and the patients remain symptom-free until the tumor becomes noticeable. Doppler color flow imaging allows the diagnosis of even small paragangliomas, which may improve management because of existing complications of surgical therapy.