title: Use of Doppler ultrasound for non-invasive urodynamic diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A totally non-invasive transperineal urodynamic technique using Doppler ultrasonography has been developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since normal urine does not have blood cells, urine was thought not to produce the Doppler effects. However, basic studies confirmed that the decrease of pressure at high velocity (Bernouilli effect) caused dissolved gas to form microbubbles, which are detected by Doppler ultrasonography. Subjects sat and the probe was advanced via remote control to achieve gentle contact with the perineal skin. The digital uroflow data signals and the color Doppler ultrasound video images were processed on a personal computer. The flow-velocity curves from two sites; the distal prostatic urethra just above the external sphincter (V1) and the sphincteric urethra (V2) were plotted against time. The parameters of both the pressure-flow studies and the Doppler ultrasound urodynamic studies were compared in men who had various degrees of obstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional cross-sectional area at prostatic urethra (A1), calculated by Q(max)/V1, was lower in the group of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) vs. control group. Velocity ratio (VR), which was calculated by V1/V2, was the parameter having the best correlation with BOO index, though A1 had a similar correlation. This method is viable to diagnose the degree of BOO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of non-invasive Doppler ultrasound videourodynamics (Doppler UDS) will dramatically expand the information on voiding function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: Toyohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Miyabi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumon