What does an echocardiogram show?

What does an echocardiogram show?

• A. It shows the inside of the heart via ultrasound, including plaque and structural problems
• B. It shows the inside of the heart via X-ray
• C. It shows electrical activity
• D. It shows blood flow velocity in arteries

Answer: (A)

An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to visualize the heart’s interior in real time. It shows the size and shape of the chambers, how the walls move, and how the heart valves open and close, which helps identify structural problems such as valve disease, abnormal wall motion, or congenital defects. It can also reveal calcifications on the valves, a form of plaque, that affect function. It does not image the heart with X‑rays, and it does not measure electrical activity (that’s what an ECG does). It may assess blood flow across valves with Doppler, but its primary purpose is to image the heart’s anatomy and function.

An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to visualize the heart’s interior in real time. It shows the size and shape of the chambers, how the walls move, and how the heart valves open and close, which helps identify structural problems such as valve disease, abnormal wall motion, or congenital defects. It can also reveal calcifications on the valves, a form of plaque, that affect function. It does not image the heart with X‑rays, and it does not measure electrical activity (that’s what an ECG does). It may assess blood flow across valves with Doppler, but its primary purpose is to image the heart’s anatomy and function.