Diagnostic Ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation.
Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. Ultrasound imaging is usually a painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images. Four-dimensional (4-D) ultrasound is 3-D ultrasound in motion.
A doppler ultrasound study may be part of an ultrasound examination. It is a special ultrasound technique that evaluates blood as it flows through a blood vessel, including the body's major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck. Color doppler uses a computer to convert doppler measurements into an array of colors to visualize the speed and direction of blood flow through a blood vessel.
Several different ultrasounds examine different areas of the body, including:
- Hysterosonography (uterus)
- Obstetric Ultrasound
- Abdomen
- Breast
- Carotid
- General Musculo-skeletal
- Pelvis
- Prostate
- Scrotum
- Thyroid
- Vascular
- Venous (extremities)
- Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy
Contact Diagnostic Ultrasound
Appointments for outpatients: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 6:30pm (or as needed)
Appointments for inpatients: 24/7 To schedule an appointment, call 831.385.7130
