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Echocardiography is a type of medical imaging which is used to visualize the heart for the purpose of evaluating heart conditions or diagnosing suspected heart problems. It is also known as cardiac ultrasound, and may be referred to as a “cardiac echo” or “echo” for short. 

In echocardiography, the technician uses a transducer which emits high frequency sound waves to generate a picture of the heart. The transducer reads the sound waves when they return, creating a map of the inside of the chest on the basis of the ways in which the sound waves change. Modern ultrasound machines are capable of generating very high resolution images, and it is also possible to create a three dimensional echocardiogram which provides an even higher level of detail.