Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the internal organs. The Ultrasound images can be captured in real time and displayed as a short movie. Doppler Ultrasound is used to evaluate flowing blood in the arteries and veins. Ultrasound is commonly used to evaluate the carotid arteries, the leg veins, the heart, the abdomen, the pelvis, the thyroid gland, and pregnancy.  For the carotid arteries, ultrasound is used as a screening exam to detect significant narrowing that may lead to a stroke.  For the veins of the legs, ultrasound is used to detect blood clots, which can progress to a pulmonary embolus.  An ultrasound of the heart is called an echocardiogram.  The echocardiogram is used to detect abnormalities of the cardiac valves and to evaluate the overall function of the heart.  In the abdomen, ultrasound is commonly used to detect gallbladder disease and gallstones.  Ultrasound is used to detect blockage due to kidney stones.  In a woman, ultrasound is used to evaluate the uterus, ovaries, and to monitor a pregnancy.

An Ultrasound is performed by using a transducer to transmit sound waves into the body. The same transducer detects the returning echoes and converts the data into images.

The advantage of Ultrasound over other modalities is that it is generally less expensive than other imaging modalities such as CT and, in comparison to general x-ray, Ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation. Routine diagnostic Ultrasound has no known harmful effects.

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