Case Studies In Small Animal

Cardiovascular Medicine

Case 20

Color flow Doppler echocardiograms

This left apical view is taken in early diastole and shows turbulent blood flow that projects from the mitral valve region into the left ventricle (mislabeled as LA).

The same left apical view showing flow accelerating toward the mitral valve region and then becoming turbulent flow into the left ventricle (LV) in late ventricular diastole.

Blood flow now appears to be flowing from the left atrium (LA) through the abnormal left ventricular band to become a turbulent jet in the left ventricle (LV).

This frame was taken in ventricular systole. It initially shows blood flowing away from the transducer in the left ventricle (LV) and toward the mitral valve and encoded as blue. The Doppler signal then aliases to become a gold color for a short distance (arrowheads) before it turns into a turbulent jet in the left atrium (next to the right atrium [RA]).

©Mark D. Kittleson, D.V.M., Ph.D. All rights reserved.