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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Highly Resolved Intravital Striped-illumination Microscopy of Germinal Centers
Published on: April 9, 2014
Tiger stripe: an innocuous Doppler artifact
1Max Diagnostic, Cuttack, India. drbisumishra@gmail.com.
Background:
Tiger stripes, parallel bands within regurgitant Doppler spectra, are often ascribed to oscillating intracardiac structures. Their frequency and clinical relevance are unclear.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed 4,567 transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) in adults between 18 and 65 years of age for tiger stripes on pulsed-wave (PW)/continuous-wave (CW) Doppler and correlated with valve pathology, presence of oscillating masses, and clinical findings.
Results:
Tiger stripes occurred in 5.4% of studies (95% CI 4.8-6.1%), predominantly with mitral and aortic regurgitation jets (MR/AR) and high-velocity tricuspid regurgitation (TR) jets. Stripes were not seen when oscillating masses were present, and were more conspicuous in mild-moderate jets and higher-velocity Doppler spectra. Audible Doppler cooing sound was common; no association with clinical musical murmurs.
Conclusions:
Tiger stripes may represent a benign spectral Doppler artifact. In isolation, they should not prompt additional imaging for oscillating masses or be used to grade regurgitation severity.
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