Strong Heart and Vascular Center
Diagnosis
Types of Echocardiography Tests
We do several types of echocardiography. In general, echo techniques assess heart muscle contraction, valve motion and abnormalities in the structure of the heart such as heart mass and chamber size. They can identify blood clots in heart chambers and scar tissue from heart attacks. Each individual test answers specific questions about the heart and its function:
M-mode (motion mode, one-dimensional): a stationary ultrasound beam is directed at a predetermined area of the heart. Other scans are made of surrounding areas until every surface has been explored and imaged. (This was one of the first forms of echo used diagnostically.) This technique can help us learn about the:
- size of one of the heart's chambers
- thickness of the chamber walls
- condition of the mitral valve -- between the left upper chamber (atrium) and left lower chamber (ventricle)
- weight of the left ventricle
Two-dimensional (cross-sectional): results in spatially correct, cross sectional views of the heart, showing both length and width (two dimensions). The images are recorded in "real time." It can help us learn about:
- problems with the heart's valves
- the relation of the heart's chambers to each other
- how much blood is pumped from the heart
Spectral doppler: records the flow of blood within the cardiovascular system, giving information about its speed
Color doppler: adds color to traditional Doppler studies, giving information about the direction and type of blood flow as well as problems such as valve leaks.
Stress echocardiogram (stress echo): a combination of an echocardiogram and an electrocardiogram (or EKG), that gives a picture of your heart when it is working harder than normal (such as when you are physically active). It can help us learn about:
- blockages
- arrhythmias
- blood pressure response
Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE): a specialized form of echocardiogram, producing images of your heart from inside, rather than outside, your body. During a TEE, you swallow a small, flexible tube, through which the echo pictures are taken. This allows a view of the heart through the esophagus (the tube which connects your mouth and stomach), giving diagnostic information not possible from other perspectives.
This test can help us learn not only about various heart
conditions, but also about acute problems, such as an "aortic
dissection" (a tear in the main artery coming out of
the heart). It can be given to patients in an operating room,
an intensive care unit, or a hospital bed, so we can get important
diagnostic information
without moving a patient to radiology.