Ultrasound Scan Explained: Types, Uses, and Procedure Guide

Ultrasound imaging is a widely used and well-established modality. It is a non-invasive imaging technique to characterise the structure of target organs or masses. For an ultrasound scan, high-frequency sound waves are used to visualise the body’s internal organs as well as blood vessels.

Your doctor may recommend an ultrasound to have an overview of the body area they will be checking. The two major types of ultrasounds recommended include:

Diagnostic ultrasound

Doctors may recommend this scan to visualise internal parts of the body and see if something is wrong or not working properly. It helps evaluate what’s causing a wide range of symptoms, such as masses (lumps), unexplained pain and an abnormal blood test. It could be done to:

• Evaluate organs, such as the thyroid gland, the breast and the prostate
• Monitor blood flow
• Procedures where a needle biopsy is needed
• Brain abnormalities in babies.
• Examine muscles, tendons and ligaments
• To understand the cause of a patient’s pain and swelling
• Determine the type and extent of heart problems
• To find the location and size of a tumor
• Help guide treatments

If you want to know diagnostic centres performing this test in your vicinity then do an online search with keywords sonography test near me.

Pregnancy ultrasound

Doctors may recommend it for reasons such as:

• Confirm the pregnancy
• Assess the baby’s size and position
• Find out if you are pregnant with more than one baby
• Estimate gestational age or duration of the pregnancy
• Screen for Down syndrome
• Evaluate birth defects in the heart, brain, spinal cord, or other parts of the body
• Measure the amount of amniotic fluid

How is an ultrasound performed?

For this, the technician uses a handheld device called a transducer to send high-frequency sound waves into the body and create an image. A connected computer then converts these images on a screen.

To begin with, the technician applies a thin layer of gel to the skin over the area being examined. The gel allows easy transmission of sound waves through the body’s tissues. Then the transducer is moved over the gel, with light pressure that generally causes no discomfort. Sound waves bounce off the structures inside the body and come back to the probe, which then converts the pattern to real-time images. These images are displayed on a monitor in real time.

For instance, a transvaginal ultrasound is a painless ultrasound, done to create images of the pelvic area. It helps evaluate a woman’s uterus, ovaries, tubes, cervix, and pelvic area. In a transrectal ultrasound, images are created to evaluate pelvic organs, particularly the prostate gland. It's also called an endorectal ultrasound or prostate sonogram.

The entire ultrasound scan is completed within 20–60 minutes and is performed by a trained doctor, radiologist, or sonographer.

Ultrasounds should only be performed when recommended by a doctor. It is always important to speak to your doctor or specialist about whether an ultrasound is needed.

Disclaimer: For personalised advice, always consult your physician or qualified healthcare professional.