Breast Ultrasound Exam

What you need to know about your breast to breast ultrasound: ultrasound exam is usually done after a mammogram or clinical examination reveals an area of concern that does not display clearly. Uses very little pressure, and the examination is usually painless. Because ultrasound using high frequency sound waves instead of x-rays, your chest is not exposed to radiation. Ultrasound can be used to clear imaging of dense breast tissue and are safe for women who are pregnant or who have breast implants. The review can take from 10 to 30 minutes to complete.Medical records to bring along: bring a list of latest mammograms that you've had done. If you've had breast surgery, note the types of treatment or surgery, biopsy, you've got and when she had them. You may need to complete any paperwork before the appointment. Bring your medical insurance card with you, too.Dress as you would for a mammogram, in a loose gown in two pieces with a top easy to remove.You will be asked to remove your clothing from the waist up. Will then in a dress that is open in front.
Ultrasound equipment resembles a workstation computer, with an eye level monitor, keyboard and trackball, a computer and wands of various forms (transducers) which are suitable for different types of ultrasound examinations. The room will be blurred so that the operator can clearly see ultrasound images of your womb on the monitor.You are on your back on a table. You may need a pillow under his head and shoulders, or a Wedge cushion under your back, to get you in the correct location for the examination. May be required to lift or arm over your head, as you would during a clinical breast examination. Clear Gel will be put on your skin near the area that will be observed. The gel will help the transducer glide smoothly and make good contact with the skin. The operator will place the transducer over the area to be examined. While pressing firmly, he'll slide back and forth the transducer and watching images created on the monitor. When you find the exact area that must be watched, the finding may be observed, measured and shown for the radiologist. The gel will be cancelled and you will have time to dress. May be asked to wait while the radiologist watch your ultrasound.You can ask to see the image, but does not require the operator to a diagnosis. The radiologist will talk to you, your physician will contact you to discuss. You can ask your doctor for a copy of the ultrasound report for your medical records. source:
RadiologyInfo.com. Breast Ultrasound. Copyright ? 2007 Radiological Society of North America, Inc (RSNA) if (zSbL

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Breast Ultrasound

A breast ultrasound is not considered a screening test, but an investigative technology used to take a closer look at areas of your womb that the doctor has more questions about after making a mammography and clinical breast examination. An ultrasound test can be useful if the mammogram shows a mass of indistinct, or if a lump can be easily heard during a clinical breast examination.

Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves that are transmitted through the breast tissue from a portable drive called a transducer. These sound waves bounce off tissues of the breast. The "echoes" created as a result then are recorded by a computer that makes an image of the breast tissue and displays it on a monitor. No radiation is used, and very little pressure is required.

Ultrasound scans produce sharp, high-contrast images. Dense breast tissue, ultrasonography can create an image that often allows a doctor to distinguish between a cyst filled with liquid and a solid mass. Mammography does not make this distinction as accurately, even if they are better than ultrasound to detect microcalcifications (which may be an early sign of breast cancer).

Ultrasound imaging does require a qualified operator that can examine suspicious breast by placing transducers in different positions. The operator must decide when to reposition the transducer, or the patient, in order to get the best images.

Often, breast abnormalities that are suspected of being cancer after a mammogram can be identified as benign as a follow-up of ultrasound. Benign breast abnormalities may include cysts and plugged milk ducts. If your doctor sends you to an ultrasound examination, does not always mean that you have cancer--only that there is a need for a clearer picture of your breast.

What can be seen on an ultrasound

Disadvantages of ultrasound
Impossible areas deep inside that breastRequires a highly qualified and experienced operatorEquipment may have problemsMay sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between abnormality and surrounding tissueCannot show microcalcifications Advantages of ultrasound image
High-contrast image ImagesCan nonpalpable masses (clots that don't you believe) no compression, pain-freeNo radiationLess expensive CT or MRI Breast More uses for Ultrasound
Ultrasound can also be used to drive a surgeon during a biopsy of the breast so that it can be picked up more accurate sample of tissue. The surgeon also allows an ultrasound to guide the needle during an aspiration of cysts in order to remove the fluid. Lymph nodes may be observed with ultrasound because they form an image feature that distinguishes them from malignancy.

Source:
Imaginis.com. Breast Cancer diagnosis. Ultrasound Imaging of the breast. Last update: July 2007. http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/Ultrasound.ASP

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