Clinical Application of 3D Sonography [antikvár]

ForewordRecent technological breakthroughs in diagnosticultrasound have surpassed all expectations. Withthese advances, clinicians now have the tools neededto contend with many significant diagnosticchallenges. At the same time, these new technologiesare so numerous and have been introduced in suchrapid succession that considerable confusionsurrounds these technologies concerning how theywork and how they should best be used.Similarly, the professional milieu around us all ismoving rapidly, and we have to run faster and fasterjust to keep the external environment in focus. Weare working ever harder just to keep up. We areadvancing rapidly, but, because our surroundings arechanging at a similar rate, we do not seem to bemoving at all.The rapid improvement in ultrasound imagequality that has occurred, particularly over the past10 years, has enabled us all to a degree that wasthought inconceivable a short while ago. Thedramatic changes brought about by the advent ofcolor Doppler, power Doppler and, more recently, 3Dimaging are undeniable. The simultaneousdevelopment of ultrasound contrast has also widenedthe diagnostic armamentarium at our disposal. Thesedevelopments now occur at such a rapid pace thatunless we keep up with developing technology wewill inevitably fall behind. Professional obsolescenceor irrelevance is merely a stumble away. Hence, allof us need to run harder and harder just to stand still.Three-dimensional ultrasound has become avaluable medical imaging modality within recentyears. It combines the advantages of 3D-dataacquisition, as known from other tomographicimaging technologies such as computed tomography,magnetic resonance imaging and positron emissiontomography, with the unique features of ultrasoundtechnology, a non-invasive, non-radiation andinexpensive method with an excellent imagingcapability in soft tissues.Three-dimensional sonography has, in a relativelyshort period of time, evolved from crude laboratoryexperiments to its present level of sophistication.Useful clinical applications have already beenreported from almost all sections of clinicalmedicine. It is our belief that to publish this bookillustrating the initial results from the clinicalapplication of this exciting technology is justified.The contributors in this book have all beenselected for their special expertise in their own fields,their access to outstanding material and their abilityto explain the significance of the subject in aneffective and lucid way. We are extremely gratefulfor their assistance and pleased to be able to presentsuch a truly international authorship.A. KurjakS. KupesicZagreb, April 2000