“Does an echocardiogram show a heart murmur?”
I am a 33 year old female. I want to know if an echocardiogram shows a heart murmur?
6 Answers
Mark Rasak
Cardiologist
If a patient has a murmur, the echo is the test of choice to diagnose it.
In general it will tell you if there is diseased or abnormal heart valve or shunt. Both conditions are the usual cause of heart murmur.
ECHO - ultrasound of the heart, shows the causes for a heart murmur
A heart murmur is a sound coming from the heart that can be heard using a stethoscope. An echocardiogram (ultrasonic scan of the heart) usually shows exactly what is causing the murmur and how serious (if at all) it is.
A heart murmur is caused by turbulent blood flow through a valve or narrowed chamber. An echocardiogram will visualize the abnormality. Some murmurs are normal and may actually disappear in time. However, an echo should be able to delineate the area in which the murmur is heard.
yes
