title: Clinical applications of color Doppler imaging in the management of orbital lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the clinical applications of color Doppler imaging (CDI) as an adjunctive study in the diagnosis and treatment of orbital lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective noncomparative case series. Medical records of 17 patients with orbital lesions who underwent orbital CDI were reviewed, and their orbital CDI results, diagnosis, and treatment were studied. The main outcome measures were detection of abnormal orbital vascular flow and presence or absence of blood flow within orbital lesions by CDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Absence of intralesional flow was associated with an orbital lesion considered benign. Tumors in which flow was present were more frequently malignant or had malignant potential. Reversal of flow in the superior ophthalmic vein was observed in patients with carotid-cavernous fistula and orbital varix.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CDI is a useful adjunctive imaging study for evaluating the vascularity of orbital tumors. The absence or presence of intratumoral blood flow as demonstrated by CDI can help determine the nature of the orbital mass and can assist with surgical planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hatton
authors.forename: Heidi D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Remulla
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tolentino
authors.forename: Peter A D
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D020522:Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color