Anatomical Structures Corresponding to Each View in Echocardiography (II)
Preface
At the request of a friend, I am writing this piece on the relevant anatomy for echocardiography. The examination has been completed and the report is quite detailed, yet they still wish to see what the actual images look like. So, let’s simply present the images below…
Continuing from the previous article
III. Apical Five-Chamber View
During systole, the left ventricle ejects blood. The blue signal here does not represent venous blood, but rather the blood ejected from the left ventricle into the ascending aorta. (Blue indicates blood flow moving away from the transducer, while red indicates blood flow moving toward the transducer. This is different from what we previously learned, where blue was thought to represent “venous blood” and red “arterial blood.”)
During diastole, the left ventricle fills with blood. The aortic valve closes, and the mitral valve opens. Blood flows from the left atrium to the left ventricle in the direction toward the transducer, thus appearing as a red signal.
IV. Apical Two-Chamber View
On the basis of the apical four-chamber view, rotate the transducer counterclockwise by 60° until the cardiac chambers on the right side disappear completely. The displayed anatomical structures include the left ventricle (LV), mitral valve (MV), left atrium (LA), left ventricular anterior wall (LVAW), and left ventricular inferior wall (LVIW).
Closest to the transducer is the apex of the left ventricle, so the apex is located at the top of the sector angle.
Family members often ask what the “flashing” structure is. To put it simply, it is a “door”. The structure indicated by the arrow here is the mitral valve. With the diastole and systole of the heart, the mitral valve opens and closes.
During diastole, the mitral valve opens, and blood flows from the left atrium to the left ventricle toward the transducer, appearing as a red signal.
During systole, the mitral valve closes and the red signal disappears.
V. Apical Three-Chamber View
On the basis of the apical two-chamber view, rotate the transducer counterclockwise by 60° until the long axis of the aortic root appears. This view is similar to the parasternal long-axis view of the left ventricle and can clearly display the apical structures. The anatomical structures shown include the left ventricle (LV), mitral valve (MV), left atrium (LA), interventricular septum (IVS), left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), aortic valve (AV), and ascending aorta (AAO).
During diastole, the aortic valve closes and the mitral valve opens.
During diastole, the mitral valve opens and the aortic valve closes. Blood flows from the left atrium to the left ventricle, moving toward the transducer and appearing as a red signal.
During systole, the mitral valve is closed (as indicated by the arrow).
During systole, the mitral valve closes and the aortic valve opens. The left ventricle contracts to eject blood into the ascending aorta, and the blood moves away from the transducer, appearing as a blue signal.