Medical ultrasound

Medical Ultrasound

Medical ultrasound (also known as diagnostic sonography or ultrasonography) is a diagnostic imaging technique, or therapeutic application of ultrasound. It is used to visualize muscles, tendons, and many internal organs, to capture their size, structure, and any pathological lesions with real-time tomographic images.

Pronunciation

Medical Ultrasound: /ˈmɛdɪkəl ʌltrəˈsaʊnd/

Etymology

The term "ultrasound" originates from the Latin words "ultra", meaning "beyond", and "sonus", meaning "sound". The term "medical" is derived from the Latin "medicus", meaning "physician".

Related Terms

Sonogram: An image produced by ultrasonography.
Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart.
Doppler Ultrasound: A special ultrasound technique that evaluates blood flow through a blood vessel.
Ultrasound Transducer: A device that produces sound waves that bounce off body tissues and make echoes.
Sonographer: A healthcare professional who performs ultrasound examinations.

Uses

Medical ultrasound is used in various medical fields, including obstetrics, cardiology, radiology, and more. It can help diagnose a variety of conditions and assess organ damage following illness. Ultrasound is used to help physicians evaluate symptoms such as pain, swelling, and infection.

Procedure

During a medical ultrasound, the patient lies on a table and a special technician or doctor moves a device called an ultrasound transducer over part of the patient's body. The transducer sends out high-frequency sound waves that bounce off the tissues inside the body. The transducer also captures the waves that bounce back. The ultrasound machine creates images from these sound waves.

Risks

Medical ultrasound is generally safe and does not use radiation. However, it can heat tissues slightly and in some cases, it can also produce small pockets of gas in body fluids or tissues.

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Medical ultrasound