Diagnostic Tests

Duke offers the latest diagnostic tests for valvular heart disease, including 3-D echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Most diagnoses can now be done without the need for cardiac catheterization.

Problems with one of the heart’s four valves are most often diagnosed by listening to the heart with a stethoscope (to detect a heart murmur). Echocardiography helps to define most heart valve problems.

Other diagnostic tests your doctor may advise include:

• Chest x-ray
  
• Electrocardiogram
  
• Echocardiogram (including 3-D echocardiography)
  
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Specialized exercise tests
  
• Specialized blood tests

Duke offers cardiac MRIs at the Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center, the first such facility in the nation devoted exclusively to cardiovascular MRI.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Bashore, Thomas M.
• Gehrig, Thomas
• Glower, Donald D.
• Harrison, J. Kevin
• Hughes, G. Chad
• Milano, Carmelo A.
• Sketch, Michael H. Jr.
• Wang, Andrew

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Cardiology
  Duke Clinic 2F/2G, 200 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710
• Duke Health Center at North Duke Street
  3116 North Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704
• Duke University Hospital
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710