Doppler echocardiography is used to examine the heart. It combines ultrasound imaging with Doppler measurements to assess the speed and direction of blood flow and, in some applications, the motion of heart tissue.
A standard echocardiogram creates images from high-frequency sound waves reflected by cardiac structures. Doppler techniques analyze changes in the returned signal caused by moving blood cells or tissue. Clinicians can use these measurements to evaluate valves, estimate pressure differences, assess abnormal communications between chambers, and calculate aspects of cardiac output and diastolic function.
The test is noninvasive: an ultrasound transducer is placed on the chest, and it does not require cardiac catheterization. Common confusion comes from treating “Doppler” as a separate organ test or assuming it primarily examines the lungs or kidneys. Doppler ultrasound is used in many parts of medicine, but “Doppler echocardiography” specifically refers to cardiac ultrasound. Its accuracy also depends on the ultrasound beam being suitably aligned with the direction of blood flow.