[Color Doppler echography. Clinical applications].

The enormous success of Ultrasound is derived from its good spatial resolution and diagnostic accuracy. The most recent and most important application of Ultrasound is Color Doppler. Color Doppler has introduced the dynamic factor, allowing the superimposition, on the high-resolution image, of flow information. For the first time, detailed and non-invasive information is obtained that is not only morphological, but also functional, through the visualisation of organ flow and perfusion. The clinical applications of Color Doppler are briefly discussed, encompassing areas that have long been studied by Duplex Doppler, such as the carotid-vertebral and the peripheral vessels. The most recent applications are also reviewed, namely: Tissue characterisation; Hemodynamics of portal hypertension and arterial hypertension; The evaluation of renal and hepatic transplants; and erectile dysfunction studies.