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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffYou may need to undergo an ultrasound for a variety of reasons. Ultrasound may be used, for example, to:
- Assess a fetus
- Diagnose gallbladder disease
- Evaluate flow in blood vessels
- Guide a needle for biopsy or tumor treatment
- Evaluate a breast lump
- Check your thyroid gland
- Study your heart
- Diagnose some forms of infection
- Diagnose some forms of cancer
- Reveal abnormalities in the genitalia and prostate
- Evaluate abnormalities of the muscles and tendons
References
- Cosgrove DO, et al. Ultrasound: General principles. In: Adam A, et al. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-443-10163-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-10163-2..50006-3. Accessed Jan. 12, 2012.
- A close look at ultrasound. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm181011.htm. Accessed Jan. 12, 2012.
- General ultrasound imaging. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=genus. Accessed Jan. 12, 2012.
- Important questions to ask about the quality of your imaging examination. American College of Radiology. http://www.acr.org/MainMenuCategories/PatientInfo/ImportantQuestions.aspx. Accessed Jan. 12, 2012.
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