Obstetrics

Ultrasound is routinely used for assessing the progression of pregnancy. Pelvic

ultrasounds can be obtained trans-abdominally where the probe is placed on the a
bdominal wall, or trans-vaginally, where the probe is placed in the vagina. For
example ultrasound in obstetrics is used to diagnose growths or tumors of the ov
ary, uterus, Fallopian tubes.
Cardiology
Echocardiography
Echocardiography (echo=sound + cardio=heart + graphy=study) evaluates the heart,
the heart's valve function, and blood flow through them. It also evaluates the
heart wall motion and the amount of blood the heart pumps with each stroke.
Echocardiography can be performed in two ways:
trans-thoracic: the probe is place on chest wall to obtain images, and
trans-esophageal: where the probe is placed through the mouth into the esophagus
.
Anatomically, the esophagus sits near the heart and allows clearer images. Howev
er, this approach is a little more invasive.
Different groups of illnesses can be assessed by echocardiography:
Valves in the heart keep blood flowing in one direction when the heart pumps. Fo
r example, when the heart beats, blood is pumped from the left ventricle through
the aortic valve into the aorta and the rest of the body. The aortic valve prev
ents blood from back-flowing into the heart as it fills for the next beat. Echoc
ardiography can determine if the valve is narrow or leaking (regurgitating, insu
fficient). By following how the patient fares clinically, repeated echocardiogra
ms can help determine whether valve replacement or repair is warranted. The same
principles apply to the mitral valve which keeps blood flowing from the left at
rium to the left ventricle.
The heart muscle pumps blood to the body. If the heart weakens, the amount of bl
ood it pumps with each beat can decrease, leading to congestive heart failure. T
he echocardiogram can measure the efficiency of the heart beat and how much bloo
d it pumps; which assists in determining whether medications are needed. It also
is used to monitor how well medications are working.
Echocardiography can visualize the heart chambers to detect blood clots in condi
tions such as atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm). In other situatio
ns, the test can help diagnoseendocarditis (an infection of the heart valves) by
visualizing "vegetations" (an infected mass) on the valves themselves.
Echocardiography also can detect abnormal fluid collections (pericardial effusio
ns) in the pericardium.
Echocardiograms are used to diagnose and monitor pulmonary artery hypertension.
Blood vessels
Ultrasound can detect blood clots in veins (superficial or deep venous thrombosi
s) or artery blockage (stenosis) and dilatation (aneurysms). Some examples of ul
trasound testing include:
Carotid ultrasound is performed in patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA
s) or strokes to determine whether the major arteries in the neck are blocked ca
using the decreased blood supply to the brain.
The aorta is the large blood vessel leaving the heart that supplies blood to the
rest of the body. The walls of the aorta are under significant pressure from th
e force of the heartbeat and over time, may weaken and widen. This is called an
aneurysm, and it can be detected in the abdomen by ultrasound (abdominal aortic

aneurysm). For those patients with small aneurysm, observation may be recommende
d and the aneurysm size followed over time by repeated tests.
Veins can also be evaluated by ultrasound and it is a common test to assess whet
her swelling in a leg is due to a blood clot, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or anot
her cause.
Abdominal structures
Aside from its use in obstetrics, ultrasound can evaluate most of the solid stru
ctures in the abdominal cavity. This includes the liver, gallbladder, pancreas,
kidneys, bladder, prostate, testicles, uterus, and ovaries.
Ultrasound is the preferred to test to screen for gallstones or an infected gall
bladder. The ultrasound can reveal the stones as well as signs of infection, inc
luding thickening of the gallbladder wall and fluid surrounding the gallbladder.
The ultrasound may find blockage in the bile ducts.
For those patients where the radiation of a CT scan (computerized tomography) is
a potential risk (pregnant patients or children), ultrasound may be used to loo
k for diseases like appendicitis or kidney stones.
Ultrasound is the test of choice to diagnose testicular torsion.
Pelvic ultrasound is used in gynecology to help assess non-pregnancy related iss
ues like lower abdominal pain, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, uterine growths,
and endometriosis.
The neck
The thyroid gland can be imaged using ultrasound looking for nodules, growths, o
r tumors.
Knee joint
Ultrasound can be used to detect bulging of fluid from a swollen knee joint into
the back of the knee, called a Baker's cyst.
Find the cause of abdominal pain
Find the cause of kidney infections
Diagnose a hernia
Diagnose and monitor tumors and cancers
Diagnose or treat ascites
Learn why there is swelling of an abdominal organ
Look for damage after an injury
Look for stones in the gallbladder or kidney
Look for the cause of abnormal blood tests such as liver function tests or kidne
y tests
Look for the cause of a fever
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Abscess
Appendicitis
Cholecystitis
Gallstones
Hydronephrosis
Kidney stones
Pancreatitis (inflammation in pancreas)
Spleen enlargement (splenomegaly)