Pediatric Applications of Transcranial Doppler Sonography

The measurement of the cerebral circulation in children, particularly in newborns and young infants, has for a long time been high on the list of needs in clinical and scientific pediatrics. The methods available to date have either been too unreliable or unsuitable for use on children. In the course of a research project at the Department of Pediatrics of the Uni- versity of Freiburg, Dr. Harald Bode has made the first systematic ex- amination of the cerebral circulation of children using transcranial Doppler sonography. Over 500 children with ages between 0 and 18 years were included in this exhaustive study, documenting Doppler measurements in about 3,000 basal cerebral arteries. Basic reference values were obtained which involved adapting the methodology and available equipment to the special re- quirements of the pediatrician. Moreover, the influence of biological and physiological factors on these Doppler values has also been considered in addition to those of disease and therapy. The result is an impressive record of the many applications of trans- cranial Doppler sonography during childhood. It is not difficult to predict that this methodology will be of lasting value and capable of further de- velopment. I hope this book receives the attention it undoubtedly deserves and that the author is able to continue in realizing his fruitful scientific ideas in clinical pediatric practice.