If you haven’t had an ultrasound scan, you probably will at some time in your life. Most Americans are aware of ultrasound technology primarily because of fetal ultrasound, a test performed at least once during pregnancy. The purpose is to monitor the health of the unborn child.

Ultrasound is an ideal tool for diagnosing a multitude of disorders. If you have pain, swelling or any other problem inside the body ultrasound is a quick, safe, non-invasive early option for taking a look inside.

Pelvic ultrasound can examine the kidneys and bladder to look for causes of blood in the urine or to see if the bladder is emptying properly.

For a woman, a pelvic ultrasound is one way to look for the cause of vaginal bleeding, check uterine fibroids or track the cause of pelvic pain. It also can check the size, shape and health of the ovaries and uterus.

For a man, the prostate gland, bladder and seminal vesicles can be examined — helping a doctor in the diagnosis of kidney stones, benign prostate enlargement or prostate cancer.

Abdominal ultrasound can provide images of the gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and liver to aid a doctor’s diagnosis and treatment of pain, masses or injuries suffered in an accident.

The test is especially useful in detecting and monitoring an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aorta is the large blood vessel that passes down the back of the chest to supply blood to the lower body. A weakness in the vessel wall can cause an aneurysm or ballooning out of one section of the aorta that could quickly burst and create a life-threatening emergency.

Breast ultrasound is useful for examining the breast of women who may not get good readings with mammography because of dense breast tissue or breast implants.

More often this technology is used to evaluate a breast lump first found through mammography or a breast examination. It’s a good tool for determining whether the lump is filled with fluid (cyst) or a solid mass.

Arterial Doppler studies is most valuable to track flow through blood vessels and detect blockages or clots. The movement of blood cells causes a change in the pitch of the reflected sound — the Doppler effect — and computer processes this information into images representing blood flow.

Passing the sensor across the arteries and veins of the arms or legs is a good non-invasive way to detect or locate blockages. An ultrasound of the carotid artery of the neck can detect blockages that put a person at risk of a stroke.

Echocardiography uses ultrasound to produce an image of the heart muscle as it works, showing the size, shape and movement of the valves and chambers as well as blood flow. It’s one of the most widely used tests for diagnosing heart problems, including valve abnormalities and thickening of the wall of the left ventricle that is frequently a consequence of high blood pressure.

For examining tissue directly under the skin, such as the rotator cuff, and determining the seriousness of an injury, ultrasound is ideal. The image may show a partial or a full thickness tear of the rotator cuff, a calcium deposit or other problem.

With its many uses, ultrasound is the unheralded sibling of imaging superstars such as MRI and computed tomography. Ultrasound is the ultimate team player; either on its own or in conjunction with other technologies, it has important roles to play.



Rupp is information and assistance case manager with the Northern Oklahoma Development Authority Area Agency on Aging.