[Assessment of blood flow in hart and large vessels using Doppler color flow mapping].
Two-dimensional echocardiography allows the noninvasive assessment of the morphology and the movement of cardiac structures, including valves and ventricular walls. Color Doppler flow imaging presents a spatial visualization of blood flow, superimposed on two-dimensional echocardiographic images. The color indicates the direction of flow. Turbulent flow is readily identified by the 'mosaic pattern' of the color flow signal. The method facilitates the detection and localization of obstruction to flow, valvular regurgitation or a shunt.