heart and blood vessel disorders
Echocardiography and Other Ultrasound Procedures
Introduction
 Ultrasonography None Ultrasonography of the heart (echocardiography) is one of the most widely used procedures for diagnosing heart disorders because it provides excellent images and is Noninvasive Harmless Relatively inexpensive Widely available Also, because ultrasonography does not use x-rays, it does not cause any Risks of Radiation in Medical Imaging . Ultrasonography is also used in the diagnosis of disorders affecting blood vessels in other parts of the body. can be used to detect whether the heart muscle is moving normally and how much blood the heart is pumping out with each beat. This procedure can also detect abnormalities in the heart's structure, such as Overview of Heart Valve Disorders , Echocardiography can also be used to detect pericardial effusion, in which fluid accumulates between the two layers of the sac that envelops the heart (pericardium), and constrictive pericarditis, in which scar tissue forms throughout the pericardium. It also can detect Aortic Dissection , a tearing within the layers of the wall of the aorta. Sometimes echocardiography is done as part of a Stress Testing . The main types of ultrasonography are Two-dimensional Three-dimensional Doppler Color Doppler Strain imaging Two-dimensional ultrasonography,the most widely used technique, produces realistic two-dimensional images in computer-generated "slices." "Stacking" the slices together can re-create a three-dimensional structure. Doppler ultrasonographyshows the direction and velocity of blood flow and thus can detect turbulent flow due to narrowing or blockage of blood vessels. Color Doppler ultrasonographyshows the different directions of blood flow in different colors. Doppler ultrasonography and color Doppler ultrasonography are commonly used to help diagnose disorders affecting the heart and the arteries and veins in the trunk, legs, and arms. Because these procedures can show the direction and rate of blood flow in the chambers and blood vessels of the heart, they enable doctors to evaluate the structure and function of these parts. For example, doctors can determine if the heart valves open and close properly, if and how much they leak when closed, and if blood flows normally. Abnormal connections between an artery and a vein or between heart chambers can also be detected. Strain imagingis an echocardiographic technique that is increasingly used. It measures changes in the motion of the heart muscle. Strain imaging can diagnose heart disease before changes are visible with conventional echocardiography, differentiate between different causes of heart disease, and predict prognosis in a variety of heart diseases, including heart failure. 