[Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: non-invasive diagnosis by directional Doppler-ultrasound (author's transl)].

Directional Doppler-ultrasound has been found to be helpful in detecting disturbances of the left ventricular outflow tract, especially in aortic incompetence. Also in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy characteristic changes of flow in carotid artery have been demonstrated by directional Doppler-ultrasound, similar to those of the carotid pulse curve. These changes lead to diagnosis but usually do not allow an information about the hemodynamic status of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. However, characteristic changes of the flow curve in the subclavian artery -- which are described in this paper -- seem to appear only in severe cases, when an intraventricular gradient was measurable, either at rest or under provocation test. So a combination of two non-invasive methods, echocardiography and directional Doppler-ultrasound of the carotid and the subclavian artery enables us to diagnose hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and at the same time informs us about hemodynamic conditions.