Everything You Want to Know About Ultrasound Examinations

Ultrasound examinations are a crucial diagnostic tool in medicine due to their non-invasive, radiation-free, convenient, and cost-effective nature. They are widely used in clinical practice. But how much do people really know about ultrasound exams? What can they detect? What preparations are needed before the exam? These are common questions of interest.

Abdominal Ultrasound Examination

Abdominal ultrasound can examine both solid and hollow organs in the abdomen. It is suitable for screening unclear abdominal conditions like pain, bloating, and discomfort, as well as diagnosing specific organ diseases.

Examined Organs:

- Liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen 

Symptoms:

- Abdominal bloating, pain, and discomfort

Indications:

- Fatty liver, cirrhosis, liver tumors, liver cysts, liver abscesses

- Gallstones, inflammation, tumors, bile duct worms, congenital bile duct anomalies

- Pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors

- Spleen enlargement, spleen cysts, polycystic spleen, spleen abscesses, solid spleen lesions, spleen trauma

Preparation:

- Fast for more than 8 hours

- Wear loose-fitting tops and pants

Urinary System Ultrasound Examination

Urinary system ultrasound can detect and diagnose diseases related to the urinary organs.

Examined Organs:

- Kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, bladder, prostate (in males)

Symptoms:

- Frequent urination, urgency, pain during urination, blood in urine, lower back pain

Indications:

- Tumors, stones, developmental abnormalities (horseshoe kidney, solitary kidney, wandering kidney, duplicated kidney)

- Screening for abnormalities found in urine tests

- Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Preparation:

- No preparation needed for kidney-only exams

- Moderate bladder filling required for bladder, ureter end, and prostate exams

- Wear loose-fitting tops and pants

Superficial Organs Ultrasound Examination 

Superficial organ ultrasound is suitable for examining organs near the body's surface, assessing size, shape, structure, internal echoes, and evaluating blood flow. It is also used to diagnose diseases.

Examined Areas:

- Thyroid, breasts, salivary glands, parotid glands, submandibular glands, lymph nodes, superficial masses, muscles, nerves, joints, soft tissues, skin, eyes

Symptoms:

- Protruding eyes, heat intolerance, excessive sweating, hand tremors

- Neck swelling, unknown lumps

- Nipple discharge, breast lumps, breast pain

Indications:

- Hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, neck lumps, breast nodules, duct ectasia, mastitis, breast tumors

Preparation:

- No special preparation needed

- Expose the examination area fully; wear low-neck clothes and avoid jewelry for neck exams

- Wear loose-fitting tops and pants

Cardiovascular System Ultrasound Examination

Cardiovascular ultrasound evaluates the heart’s position, measures the size of the heart chambers, assesses heart function, and monitors blood flow within the heart. It also examines major blood vessels connected to the heart.

Examined Organ:

- Heart

Symptoms:

- Palpitations, breathlessness, chest tightness, chest pain

Indications:

- Congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, constrictive pericarditis, pericardial effusion, heart tumors (myxoma, rhabdomyoma, fibroma), secondary heart changes from systemic diseases (hypertension, hyperthyroidism, chronic lung diseases), pulmonary embolism, coronary artery disease, ventricular septal defect, mitral stenosis, aortic regurgitation, and dilated cardiomyopathy

Preparation:

- No special preparation needed

- Wear loose-fitting tops and pants