Ultrasonography is a medical imaging method that uses ultrasound to create images of organs and other internal anatomical structures.
Ultrasound is high-frequency sounds waves (over 20,000 Hz) that are modified when they hit obstacles in their path. Depending on the density of the environment through which they travel, they return a more or less intense “echo”. The ultrasound device then interprets these signals in the form of images displayed in real time.
Ultrasonography is an in-depth, standardised, quantitative clinical examination. It can take very precise measurements and can be used to provide a detailed report, illustrated with printed images.
Echoscopy is not considered as a medical diagnostic tool, since it is a non-standardised, qualitative examination designed to provide instant data. It aims to improve patient care by narrowing down a diagnosis and therefore the choice of treatment options.
Ultrasound scans can produce images of various structures within the human body, both towards its surface and deeper down, including organs, arteries, vessels, ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones.
Ultrasound scans are used to:
With a portable ultrasound device, ultrasound scans can be performed in any environment (GP surgery, hospital, ambulance etc.): patients no longer have to travel for a scan, as the ultrasound machine comes to them.
The doctor applies gel on the patient’s skin to ensure there is no air between the probe and the skin, since air blocks the ultrasound waves. The doctor then places the probe on the area to be examined and applies gentle pressure. The scan shows moving images, which the doctor controls on a screen. Still images can be taken during the examination, which are then given to the patient along with a report drawn up by the doctor. The examination varies in length, usually lasting between 15 and 30 minutes.
If a patient has muscle damages, ultrasound is used to confirm the diagnosis, identify the extent of the damage and check for intramuscular haematomas.
In the event of a suspicion of bladder cancer, an ultrasound of the urinary tract (bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra) is recommended after clinical examination. Performed when the bladder is full, it will help detect an abnormal mass and study nearby organs.
A liver angioma is a benign, often symptomless tumour generally discovered unexpectedly during an abdominal ultrasound.
Cardiac ultrasound is used to produce images of the structures and blood flows within the human heart and to check if these are working correctly. It is prescribed for heart conditions. Here, the ultrasound scan shows a dysfunction of the mitral valve (mitral leak).
If a patient has pain in his shoulder and after moving the joint, ultrasound helps to identify the origin of the pain, which may come from several different sources, including the tendon, bone and nerve. Here, the ultrasound scan shows peripheral inflammation of the long biceps tendon.
If the patient has intense pain in the thigh and pain upon moving, ultrasound can be used to identify the injury and reveal any haematomas invisible on the skin. This ultrasound scan shows a completely torned muscle.
Abdominal ultrasound is often recommended for a pain in this area. It can be used to study the organs and identify or rule out various diseases. On this scan, we can simply see calcification.
Thyroid ultrasound is the examination of choice when a patient presents with thyroid abnormalities upon palpation, thyroid nodules that require monitoring, thyroid disorders, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
