Echocardiography / Colour Doppler

Also commonly called Transthoracic Echo Of The Heart, Colour Doppler Of The Heart, Colour Scan Of The Heart, Doppler Study Of The Heart , Echo & Colour Doppler Of The Heart.

An invaluable test in the diagnosis of various cardiac disorders. It is simple, less time consuming, painless and does not require fasting.

This uses ultrasound technique to visualize the cardiac chambers. Also Doppler studies are done to assess the intracardiac velocities.

There are four main components :

M mode echo

B mode echo

Pulse & continuous wave doppler study

Colour doppler study.

Various conditions diagnosed by Echocardiography :

Broadly there are various conditions that can be diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography.

These can be divided into Congenital & Acquired Heart Diseases.

Congenital heart diseases include diseases present at birth, eg.,  holes in the heart, wrong attachment of vessels of the heart, abnormal heat chamber / great vessels relations, etc.

Also, there could be weakness of the heart muscle, leakages of valves, narrowing of the valves, etc.

Acquired heart diseases include weakness of the heart muscle, leakages of valves, narrowing of the valves, diseases of the coverings of the heart, infections in the heart, etc.

Thus echocardiography can be used for:

Evaluation Of The Cardiac Chambers.

Hemodynamic Information Regarding The Heart.

Acquired Valvular Heart Disease eg., Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Congenital Heart Disease.

Coronary Artery Disease.

Diseases Of The Myocardium.

Pericardial Disease.

Cardiac Masses.

Diseases Of The Great Vessels.

Thus echo is a very useful diagnostic tool which provides a lot of diagnostic information. Also, being a non invasive & convenient test, it can be frequently used & repeated as necessary.