Intratumoral blood flow: evaluation with color Doppler echography.

Blood flow in several types of tumors (two hepatomas, two hemangiomas, two renal cell carcinomas, one hydatidiform mole, and five invasive moles) was assessed with real-time two-dimensional color Doppler echography (ultrasound). In one of the hepatomas and all five of the invasive moles (but not in the hydatidiform mole or in either of the hemangiomas), the intratumoral flow was demonstrated with color Doppler echography, correlating well with the angiographic or dynamic computed tomographic findings. In the invasive moles, rapid blood flow was seen within the hypoechoic zone of the tumor. On follow-up study of four of the invasive moles, disappearance of the hypoechoic area due to blood flow was observed when chemotherapy was successful. Trophoblastic disease is considered to be the best application for color Doppler echography because it provides accurate evaluation of residual tumor after chemotherapy.