Our GP is ready to help you if you want to be sure that you are healthy and in good shape, you have medical questions or problems and want to discuss with an experienced doctor, you have some unknown symptoms and want to know what they could be related to, you want to know another medical opinion about the best way of treatment of your disease.
An ultrasound test utilizes reflected sound waves to give a picture of organs and other structures inside the body. It does not use X-rays or other types of possibly harmful radiation.
During an ultrasound
procedure, a small handheld instrument, which is called a transducer, is passed back and forth over the area of the body being examined. A computer analyzes the sound waves
reflected back from structures inside the body. A transducer emits and detects high-pitched sounds beyond the range of human hearing. These reflected sound waves are converted into a picture and displayed on a video monitor. The /images produced by ultrasound are called a sonogram, echogram, or scan. Pictures or videos of the ultrasound /images may be saved for a permanent record.
Ultrasound waves cannot pass through bones; therefore, an ultrasound to evaluate the brain cannot be done once the bones of the skull (cranium) have grown together. Cranial ultrasound can be done on infants before the bones of the skull have grown together. It is used to evaluate the brain and
ventricles, or openings in the brain through which cerebrospinal fluid flows.
Cranial ultrasound is most commonly done to evaluate complications of premature birth, including bleeding in the brain (intraventricular hemorrhage, or IVH) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). PVL is a condition in which the brain tissue around the ventricles is damaged, possibly from decreased oxygen or blood flow to the brain that may have occurred before, during, or after delivery. IVH and PVL increase an infant's risk of developing disabilities that may range from mild learning or gross motor delays to cerebral palsy or mental retardation.
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is more common in premature infants than in full-term infants. When IVH occurs, it most commonly develops in the first 3 to 4 days after birth. Cranial ultrasound can detect most cases of IVH by the first week after delivery. By contrast, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) can take several weeks to become detectable. For this reason, cranial ultrasound may be repeated between 4 to 8 weeks after delivery if PVL is suspected. Several cranial ultrasound tests may be done to evaluate suspicious areas in the brain.
Cranial ultrasound may also be done to evaluate an infant's large or increasing head size, detect infection in or around the brain (such as from encephalitis or meningitis), or to screen for brain problems that are present from birth (such as congenital hydrocephalus). See an illustration of congenital hydrocephalus.
Cranial Ultrasound Results
Cranial ultrasound
Normal:
The size and shape of the brain appears
normal.
The size of the brain's inner fluid chambers
(ventricles) is normal.
Brain tissue appears normal. No bleeding,
suspicious areas (lesions), abnormal growths, or evidence of infection are present.
Abnormal:
Bleeding in the brain may be
found,
which may indicate intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
Suspicious
areas or lesions around the brain's ventricles may be present. This may indicate periventricular
leukomalacia (PVL), a condition in which the brain tissue around the ventricles is damaged.
The brain and ventricles may be enlarged from the buildup of
excessive amounts of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This may indicate
hydrocephalus.
Abnormal growths may be present, which may
indicate a tumor or cyst.
Suspicious findings may be present, which may indicate
encephalitis or meningitis.
Medical online consultation with qualified doctors
Copyright © 2004-2005