Sonogram
Also known as an ultrasound, a sonogram is a fast, painless imaging technique that produces images of the internal organs through the use of high-frequency sound waves.
Reasons for a Sonogram
A sonogram can be used to monitor and diagnose a wide range of conditions within nearly any system of the body. This test may be performed on patients experiencing pain, swelling or infection in a certain area of the body.
The images produced by a sonogram may help:
- Assess a breast lump
- Diagnose gallbladder disease, some infections, some cancers
- Reveal abnormalities of the muscles
- Evaluate the heart
- Assess the thyroid gland
- Guide a needle during a biopsy
- Check blood flow
- Obtain images of a fetus
Sonograms, however, are not the ideal imaging test to view organs surrounded by bones, as sound waves cannot travel through bone; a different imaging test, such as CT scan, should be used for such cases.
The Benefits of a Sonogram
An sonogram is a noninvasive, simple procedure that can produce images of the soft tissues, which often don't show up well on X-rays. There is no ionizing radiation used during this procedure and no serious side effects.
The Sonogram Procedure
Preparing for a sonogram varies, depending on the objective of the imaging. While many sonograms require no preparation whatsoever, some may require you fasting for six hours before the test. In addition, patients undergoing a sonogram of their uterus, ovaries or prostate are required to arrive with a full bladder, as this enables the organs to be viewed more easily.
You will lie down on an examination table, and gel will be applied to skin at the area to be imaged. The technician then moves a transducer, a special hand-held device, across this area; the transducer enables sound waves to be transmitted back and forth between the body and the device, which relays this information to a computer. A sonogram is typically painless, although patients may experience slight discomfort. Results are usually available a few days later; your doctor will discuss your results with you at this point.
In some cases, this procedure may involve attaching the transducer to a probe and inserting it into an opening in the body, as in a transrectal or transvaginal sonogram. The exam usually takes from 30 minutes to one hour to complete.