What is Breast Ultrasound?
Breast ultrasonography is the use of penetrating sound waves that
bounce back to a computer, producing a real-time image on a monitor that
your doctor can use to help diagnose breast abnormalities. The sound
waves are inaudible and do not affect the tissue or cause damage. Liquid
shows up differently than solid mass during an ultrasound, which is
important information for your radiologist, as liquid filled cysts are
usually not cancerous, whereas a solid mass lump may sometimes be
cancerous. The end result is a picture called a sonogram and more data
for your doctor to use during the diagnostic process.
When is Breast Ultrasound Used?
After a breast exam or a mammogram, when a suspicious area has been
identified, your doctor may use an ultrasound machine to get a better
idea of what is going on inside the breast tissue, in particular whether
a cyst is solid or liquid, and how blood is flowing through the region.
Breast sonography is especially useful for viewing the structure of
breast lumps that are large enough to be felt by a breast self-exam.
What can I expect during the exam?
During the exam, the physician may apply ultrasound gel to the skin
over the area in question. Then a transducer wand is used gently on the
breast and transmits images to the computer, which the physician views
over the monitor. The exam is relatively quick and painless.
Is the exam safe?
Yes. Ultrasound is non-invasive and does not use radiation such as that used in X-rays.
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