Ultrasound

An ultrasound, or sonogram, is an imaging exam that uses sound waves to produce pictures of organs and other structures inside your body. The sound waves have such a high frequency that you can’t hear them. One of the most common reasons for an ultrasound is to evaluate the health of a fetus (unborn baby) during pregnancy. But we also use ultrasounds to diagnose and treat many other conditions throughout your body.

Unlike other imaging exams such as X-rays and CT scans, ultrasounds don’t use ionizing radiation. This makes them safer for some people. Ultrasounds are also better than X-rays for looking at blood vessels, soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments, and organs like your bladder and kidneys.

We use a special device called a transducer to send sound waves into your body. The sound waves bounce back, or “echo,” in a specific pattern depending on the shape, size, and density of the structures they hit.

The transducer “hears” the echoes and sends them to a computer that translates the data into an image. The images may be 2D (flat images), 3D (show size and spacing of organs), or 4D (3D in motion) depending on the technology we use.

Most ultrasounds are noninvasive, meaning we apply the transducer to your skin on the outside of your body. But in some cases, we insert an ultrasound probe into an opening in your body or into a blood vessel.

Diagnostic ultrasounds help us find the cause of problems in your abdomen, blood vessels, muscles, heart, and other structures. We also use ultrasound to perform procedures with better accuracy, such as placing a catheter (thin, flexible tube) or guiding a needle for a biopsy. Therapeutic ultrasounds help us treat conditions. For example, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can destroy diseased tissue such as tumors.

Some of the most common types of ultrasound include:

• Abdominal ultrasound: creates pictures of your liver, spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, and other structures in your belly
• Breast ultrasound: can show fluid-filled cysts and other changes in breast tissue that may not be visible on a mammogram
• Doppler ultrasound: shows how blood moves through your veins and arteries
• Echocardiogram: examines your heart valves and how well your heart pumps blood
• Genitourinary ultrasound: creates images of the urinary tract and genitals, including your bladder, ureters, kidneys, urethra, and scrotum
• Intravascular ultrasound: examines the inside of blood vessels using a catheter with an ultrasound probe through a small cut in your skin
• Pelvic ultrasound: provides images of your bladder, fallopian tubes, ovaries, prostate, rectum, uterus, and vagina
• Pregnancy ultrasound: monitors the size, development, and health of an unborn baby
• Thyroid ultrasound: checks your thyroid and parathyroid glands, salivary glands, and other structures in your neck
• Transrectal ultrasound: evaluates the prostate in men with an ultrasound probe inserted into your rectum
• Transvaginal ultrasound: provides detailed images of female reproductive organs with an ultrasound probe into your vagina

We may recommend an ultrasound to diagnose:

• Abnormal tissue changes or masses
• Blocked blood vessels or blood clots
• Enlarged organs or blood vessels
• Genetic disorders or defects in a fetus
• Inflammation or infection
• Injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments
• Tumors and fluid-filled cysts
• Unexplained pain, bleeding, or other symptoms

An ultrasound technician, or sonographer, performs your exam. A radiologist (doctor who specializes in imaging) reviews and interprets the image.

You may get an ultrasound at a hospital if you’re in the emergency room or need inpatient care. Ultrasounds are also widely available at outpatient imaging facilities and urgent care centers. Ultrasound machines are portable, so they’re also in many doctors’ offices.

Most ultrasound exams don’t require any special preparation, but there are some exceptions. We may ask you to drink fluids before a pelvic, renal, or bladder ultrasound; a full bladder helps us capture a clearer image of organs. For an abdominal ultrasound, you may need to avoid eating or drinking before your exam. Your care team will give you detailed instructions about how to prepare.

During an ultrasound, here’s what you can expect:

1. We may ask you to remove clothing or put on a hospital gown.
2. You lie comfortably on an exam table.
3. The ultrasound technician applies a water-based gel to your skin, which helps the transducer capture clearer images.
4. The technician moves the transducer over your skin.
5. Images of structures inside your body show up on a monitor.
6. Once the technician captures enough images, the exam is done.

There’s no downtime after most diagnostic ultrasounds. Since you don’t need sedation, you can drive and return to normal activities right away.

If you have a transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound, you may have mild pain, soreness, or discharge after the exam. If you have an ultrasound as part of a biopsy or therapeutic procedure, your care team will tell you what to expect during recovery and explain any precautions you should take.

An ultrasound is a quick, safe procedure that carries very few risks, especially since the exam doesn’t use ionizing radiation. However, like all imaging exams, an ultrasound should only be performed by experienced health-care providers when it’s medically necessary.

At Penn Medicine, you’ll find the latest ultrasound technology and a team of board-certified radiologists with expertise in evaluating and interpreting scans. Our specialized knowledge of diagnostic and interventional imaging makes us qualified to care for even the most complex conditions.

• Recognized expertise: We are fully accredited in ultrasound by the American College of Radiology. We voluntarily seek this accreditation to ensure we meet or exceed the highest quality and safety standards, continually improving the care we provide.
• Convenient care: It’s easy to schedule an ultrasound at a place and time that works for you. We offer imaging locations throughout the Greater Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Princeton areas, all of which are backed by the resources and capabilities of Penn Medicine.
• Multispecialty approach: Radiologists collaborate with many other specialists to ensure you receive coordinated care. Whether we need the input of surgeons, oncologists, cardiologists, or maternal-fetal medicine specialists, all the experts you need are in one place.