New horizons in Doppler imaging in obstetrics. Foreword.

摘要

The past few decades have witnessed transformational advances in maternal and fetal medicine. The relatively inaccessible world of the fetus has been opened up through remarkable progress in clinical and biophysical research and innovation. Doppler sonography provides one such example. Since the demonstration of its feasibility in the seventies and the eighties, Doppler ultrasound continues to evolve as a powerful, unique, and often effective tool for fetal and maternal hemodynamic investigation. There are emerging developments in Doppler and non-Doppler ultrasound technology that show significant potentials for novel clinical applications. Doppler of the umbilical and the middle cerebral artery now constitutes an essential component of fetal surveillance in selected high-risk pregnancies. Fetal venous system, especially the ductus venosus, has emerged as a focus for fetal surveillance. On the maternal side, there is renewed interest in uterine artery Doppler for predicting subsequent development of preeclampsia. These developments also encompass Doppler echocardiography that has become an essential tool for fetal cardiac evaluation in a variety of clinical situations. This timely volume of the Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology addresses the current state of these issues in 9 articles. A brief introduction to these articles is offered below in sequence of their appearance so that the readers may have a preview of the contents of this volume.