Normal Neonatal Echocardiography

Common Definitions:

B-Mode: Brightness mode (2D). Provides two-dimensional grayscale images of anatomical structures.

M-Mode: Motion Mode (time over motion over line of interrogation). Displays motion over time along a single ultrasound beam, useful for assessing dynamic changes such as cardiac wall motion (TAPSE, MAPSE, Shortening Fraction).

Colour-Doppler: Takes advantage of the Doppler shift to enable visualization of blood or tissue movements. By convention, red appearing colour represents a motion coming towards the probe, bleu appearing colour represents a motion going away from the probe. This can be used to visualize blood directionality, or tissue directionality (such as in Tissue Doppler Imaging). Depicts blood flow direction and velocity through colour-coded overlays on B-mode images, aiding in the assessment of vascular and cardiac function.

CW-Doppler: Continuous wave Doppler provides an evaluation of the velocities obtained accross the line of interrogation. CW Doppler allows for the continuous measurement of blood flow velocity along the entire length of the ultrasound beam. Provides continuous measurements of blood flow velocity along the entire ultrasound beam, particularly useful for high-velocity flows.

PW-Doppler: Pulse wave Doppler provides an evaluation of the velocities obtained specifically at the interrogation sampling. It provides measurements at discrete sample volumes and may suffer from aliasing at high velocities. Measures blood flow velocities at specific locations along the ultrasound beam, providing information on flow patterns and velocities.

3D-Echocardiography: Various planes of ultrasound beams are used to reconstruct 3D imprints of the heart (in Brightness format or Colour Doppler). Three-dimensional echocardiography provides a volumetric, real-time visualization of the heart.