B-flflow Technique Versus Color Doppler Ultrasonography in Assessment of Peripheral Arterial Diseases

Background: Diagnostic ultrasound is used for PAD assessment. It is a real-time, non-invasive technique that uses non-ionizing radiation. GE Healthcare has introduced 'B-Flow' as a new ultrasound technique, which does not have some of the limitations of CDU. It has proven more effective, especially in detecting the degree of arterial stenosis.Objective: Assess the efficacy of the B-flow technique compared to Color Doppler ultrasonography in assessing peripheral arterial diseases.Patients and methods: We classified 100 participants into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 30 patients.")They have hemodynamically significant stenosis, and in Group 2, the remaining 70 participants have various forms of peripheral arterial diseases (Calcified plaque, Soft plaque, Occlusion, etc…).Results: Within the patient group, BFI was significantly higher in detecting significant stenosis compared to CDU (the Sensitivity was 87.9%, the specificity was 87.9%, and the accuracy was 95.47%. vs. the Sensitivity of CDU was 78.8%, the specificity was 86.53% and the accuracy was 92.16%.). Also, BFI was positively related to age, male sex, DM, and current smoker (P<0.001, 0.041, 0.036, 0.024), while CDU was positively related to these same things (P=0.047, 0.046, 0.042, 0.036 respectively).Conclusion B-Flow, a cutting-edge non-invasive imaging technology, shows superiority over traditional CDU in providing more accurate details, especially in detecting hemodynamically significant stenosis. B-Flow stands out by revealing residual patent lumens often missed by CDU alone. Additionally, different forms of PAD, such as calcified plaques, atherosclerotic changes, soft plaques, and evidence of ulceration through its surface, As well as collateral take-off sites, overcome the limitations of CDU. However, it is essential to know that B-Flow is not without limitations.