Diagnostic echocardiography.

Ultrasound has become an important diagnostic tool for a variety of cardiac problems. It has the advantage of being noninvasive and, in certain conditions, quite accurate. It has been used for the assessment of mitral stenosis and for the diagnosis of cardiac tumors, mitral valve prolapse, asymmetric thickening of the interventricular septum, atrial septal defect and pericardial effusion.