Echocardiography can provide the following information:
.
Cardiac structures: The various components of the heart (muscle, valves, etc.) could be seen. Therefore a hole in a heart septal wall or deformity of a cardiac valve, etc could be identified.
Cardiac structures: The various components of the heart (muscle, valves, etc.) could be seen. Therefore a hole in a heart septal wall or deformity of a cardiac valve, etc could be identified.
.
The motion of the ventricular muscular walls can be seen (as ventricles pump blood out of them). Reduction in the capability of the ventricles to pump can therefore be evaluated.
.
.
The flow of blood within the heart and blood vessels could also be seen in a feature termed color Doppler. This will represent the blood in usually two different colors: blue and red. The blue represents the blood which is heading away from the transducer and the red represents the blood which is flowing towards the transducer. This enables the visualization of abnormalities of blood flow such as leakage of blood through valves (regurgitation or insufficiency) since blood would be seen to leak back after the valve closes.
The motion of the ventricular muscular walls can be seen (as ventricles pump blood out of them). Reduction in the capability of the ventricles to pump can therefore be evaluated.
.
.
The flow of blood within the heart and blood vessels could also be seen in a feature termed color Doppler. This will represent the blood in usually two different colors: blue and red. The blue represents the blood which is heading away from the transducer and the red represents the blood which is flowing towards the transducer. This enables the visualization of abnormalities of blood flow such as leakage of blood through valves (regurgitation or insufficiency) since blood would be seen to leak back after the valve closes.
.
In addition the pressure difference between one part of the heart and the other could be determined since the ultrasound waves bouncing off blood would change its sound wave length depending upon the speed with which the blood flows (blood velocity).
In addition the pressure difference between one part of the heart and the other could be determined since the ultrasound waves bouncing off blood would change its sound wave length depending upon the speed with which the blood flows (blood velocity).
.
This is known as the Doppler phenomenon. Blood travels at higher velocities when there is a greater pressure difference between two parts of the heart. For example, if there is a narrowing of the pulmonary valve (pulmonary stenosis) the right ventricle will squeeze harder to push the blood through the smaller than normal pulmonary valve opening resulting in propelling the blood at a higher speed. This higher speed (velocity) of blood can then be measured by the Doppler equipment of the echocardiogram and an estimation of pressure gradient across the pulmonary valve can be calculated.
.
Limitations of echocardiography:
Limitations of echocardiography:
.
Ultrasound waves can not travel through air as well as it can through body tissue, therefore blood vessels within the lungs can not be seen such as parts of the pulmonary arteries and veins far away from the heart.
Doppler can measure the pressure difference between one part of the heart and the other, however, it is not capable of measuring the blood pressure at any given point within the heart as it is possible in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
Ultrasound waves can not travel through air as well as it can through body tissue, therefore blood vessels within the lungs can not be seen such as parts of the pulmonary arteries and veins far away from the heart.
Doppler can measure the pressure difference between one part of the heart and the other, however, it is not capable of measuring the blood pressure at any given point within the heart as it is possible in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
.
