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Ultrasound is a test where
reflected sound waves are used to give a
picture of organs and other structures of the body. This test does not
use X-rays
or other kinds of possibly injurious
radiation.
A transducer (a small handheld instrument) is passed back and
forth over the area of the body which is being examined. It sends out high-pitched sound
waves (which are above the range of human hearing) and they are reflected back to the
transducer. A computer analyzes the sound waves and converts them into a
picture displayed on a video monitor. The picture produced by
ultrasound is called a sonogram, echogram, or scan. Pictures or videos of the
ultrasound /images can be stored
as a permanent record.
Ultrasound is most helpful for checking organs and structures that
are uniform and solid (like the liver) or are fluid-filled (like the
gallbladder). Mineralized structures (like bones) or air-filled organs (like
the lungs) do not show up well on a sonogram.
Abdominal Ultrasound
An abdominal ultrasound can display pictures of structures and
organs in the abdomen, such as the:
Abdominal
aorta, that is the large blood vessel (artery) that goes down the back of the chest and abdomen, just to the left of the backbone.
Liver, a large dome-shaped organ that lies under the rib cage on
the right side of the abdomen. The liver produces bile (a substance that helps
digest fat), stores sugars, and breaks down many of the body's waste products.
Gallbladder, that is a sac-like organ below the liver. It stores bile. When food is
consumed, the gallbladder contracts, sending bile into
the intestine.
Spleen (the soft, round organ that recycles old
blood cells), located to the left of the stomach, just behind the
lowest left rib.
Pancreas, the gland located in the upper abdomen
that produces enzymes that help digest food. The
digestive enzymes are then released into the intestines. The pancreas also
releases insulin into the bloodstream that
helps the body use sugar for energy.
Kidneys, the pair of
bean-shaped organs located in the back of the abdominal cavity. They
remove wastes from the blood and produce urine.
Normal:
The size and shape of the abdominal organs appear normal.
The liver size and texture is normal. The kidneys
show up as sharply
outlined bean-shaped organs and the spleen looks uniform. The pancreas looks
uniform and has a normal shape and size. No abnormal growths are seen. No fluid
is found in the abdomen.
The diameter of the aorta is normal and no
aneurysms are present.
The gallbladder wall is not abnormally thickened. The size
of the bile ducts between the gallbladder and the small intestine are
normal.
No
gallstones or
kidney stones are seen.
Abnormal:
An organ may appear abnormal because of inflammation,
infection, or disease. An organ may be smaller than normal because of an old
injury or past inflammation. An organ may be pushed out of its normal location
because of an abnormal growth pressing against it. An abnormal growth (such a
tumor) may be seen in an organ. Fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites) may be
seen.
The aorta is enlarged or an aneurysm is seen.
The walls of the gallbladder may be thickened, or fluid may
be present around the gallbladder, indicating inflammation. The bile ducts may
be enlarged because of blockage (from a gallstone or an abnormal growth in the
pancreas). Gallstones may be seen inside the gallbladder.
The kidneys may be enlarged because of urine that is not
draining properly through the
ureters. Kidney stones are seen within the kidneys
(not all stones can be seen with ultrasound).
The liver may appear abnormal, which may indicate liver
disease (such as
cirrhosis or cancer).
An area of infection abscess or a
fluid-filled cyst can show up as a round, hollow structure inside an
organ. The spleen may be ruptured (if an injury to the abdomen has
occurred).
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