Bi-directional Color Doppler

This type of Doppler is useful for imaging the arteries and veins throughout the body.  The blue and red simply signifies opposite directions of blood flow.  In this picture, the middle vessel is an artery paired with a vein on the top and bottom.  Two of the most common applications of bi-directional Doppler are:

Carotid Artery exams: Where the major arteries feeding the brain are imaged in the neck to rule out blockages which can cause stroke.

Leg vein evaluation: commonly done for leg swelling and leg pain to rule out deep venous thrombosis (or DVT)

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