Contributions of color Doppler to the evaluation of cardiovascular abnormalities in the fetus.

The applications of color Doppler sonography are reviewed in this article. Color Doppler is an efficient and time-saving means of assessing normal and abnormal flow in the fetus, making it an essential part of the echocardiographic examination for fetal congenital heart disease. In survey mode, color Doppler can be used to quickly evaluate whether flow channels are normal and to detect abnormal flow patterns. These abnormal flow patterns can then be examined further by pulsed or continuous wave Doppler, if needed. Color Doppler, which is subject to less rib shadowing than other Doppler techniques, also can help in assessing the fetal heart when there is less-than-adequate gray scale imaging.