Abdominal Ultrasound

What is an abdominal ultrasound?

An abdominal ultrasound is a noninvasive, painless imaging test. Your doctor uses an ultrasound machine to look at the size, structure and movement of blood and organs inside your belly. Ultrasound, also called sonography, uses sound waves instead of X-rays (radiation) to make images of your internal organs. You may have an abdominal ultrasound if you have certain symptoms, such as severe or persistent belly pain or swelling, or ongoing vomiting. Your doctor may also use an abdominal ultrasound if other tests indicate that imaging is necessary or to guide a biopsy procedure.

Abdominal ultrasound is one method used to diagnose diseases and conditions of the organs inside your belly. These include the stomach, liver, kidneys, bladder, intestines, gallbladder, spleen, appendix and pancreas. Your doctor may also order a Doppler ultrasound with your abdominal ultrasound. A Doppler ultrasound is a test to see how your blood flows through vessels that run through the abdomen, such as the aorta.

Why is an abdominal ultrasound performed?

An abdominal ultrasound is a procedure that your doctor may recommend to diagnose certain diseases and conditions of the abdominal organs including:

• Abdominal abscess, cyst or tumor. Typical symptoms of an abdominal abscess, cyst or tumor include abdominal bloating or swelling, abdominal pain, fever, nausea, weight loss, or a lump or mass in the abdomen.
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm, or increased size of the abdominal aorta. A weakened or bulging area of this large artery can rupture and bleed
• Abdominal injury. Ultrasound can be used to screen for an injury.
• Abdominal pain or swelling, which can be caused by many different conditions. These include appendicitis, cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), or abdominal abscess.
• Appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix
• Ascites, which is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. The most common cause of ascites is cirrhosis of the liver.
• Gallstones. Gallstones often lead to abdominal pain that can radiate to the upper right side.
• Hernia, which is when organ or other structure bulges through a weak part of tissue or muscle outside its normal place
• Kidney stones. Kidney stones can cause extreme pain in the flank area of the lower back that radiates to the lower abdomen as the stone travels down the urinary tract into the bladder.
• Pyloric stenosis, a narrowing of the lower part of the stomach that blocks passage of food from the stomach to the intestines

How is an abdominal ultrasound performed?        

A radiologic technologist often performs the abdominal ultrasound exam. A radiologic technologist is a medical professional who is trained in medical imaging and the care of patients during imaging procedures. After the radiologic technologist performs the abdominal ultrasound exam, a radiologist will look at the images produced during the exam. A radiologist is a doctor who is specialized in medical imaging. He or she will then provide your physician with a diagnosis based on the ultrasound images.

Your care team will perform your abdominal ultrasound in the radiology department of a hospital or a radiology clinic. Sometimes a doctor will use abdominal ultrasound in the emergency room. The procedure takes a half hour or less and generally includes these steps:

1. You will dress in a patient gown and lie on a table in the ultrasound room. In some cases, you can wear your own loose-fitting clothing. The room will be dark so that the images are easier to read on the ultrasound screen.
2. The technologist will squeeze a water-based jelly onto your abdomen to help the ultrasound wand slide across your skin. The ultrasound wand is called a transducer. The wand sends and receives the sound waves to produce the image.
3. The technologist will move the wand gently back and forth across your skin. At times, he or she will gently press the wand down to obtain more accurate readings. While this is happening, you may have to shift your position or hold your breath for short periods to help with the imaging.
4. The technologist watches the ultrasound screen during the procedure. This ensures that he or she captures the right type and amount of images, which helps diagnose your condition.
5. Once the exam is complete, the technologist will wipe off the gel. The gel is water-based and washes away easily.
6. You may wait a short period of time while the radiologic technologist or radiologist verifies that the imaging is complete. Usually, you can go home immediately after the exam.