Medical Terminology

Sonography terms from Appendix B and C

Anechoic

neither possessing nor producing echoes

Echogenicity

the characteristic of tissue to reflect sound waves and produce echoes

Hypoechoic

less echoic; darker shade of grey; ex/ kidney is hyperechoic to liver

Isoechoic

tissue having the same echogenicity making it difficult to be differentiated from one another; same grayscale level

M-Mode (motion mode)

presentation of moving structures along a single line in the ultrasound beam displayed as time versus distance from the transducer; motion detection on ultrasound, used to detect fetal heart tones

Decubitus

lying on a horizontal service, designated according to the portion of the body resting on the surface; in sonography, the patient is lying on his or her left side (right side up)

Prone

Lying face downward.The patient will be on her or his stomach

angi-

vessel; ex/ angiogram- shows blood flow through arteries

chole-; chol-

Bile or galbladder; ex/ choleocystitis - is the surgical removal of the gallbladder.

cyst-

urinary bladder, cyst, sac

enter-

small intestines

lith-

stone

nephr-

kidney

neur-

nerve or nerves

a-

absent or deficient

ab-

away from

contra-

against; ex/ contralateral

dys-

difficult or painful

ecto-

outside; ex/ ectopic pregnancy

endo-

inside; ex/ endocardium the innermost layer of the heart

hyper-

above; a greater concentration than normal; ex/ hyperglycemia or hypertension

hypo-

below normal; a lesser concentration than normal; ex/ hypoglycemia or hypotension

olig-

few or scanty; ex/ oliguria, which means low urine output.

-genic

producing or originating; often used to denote a cause of a condition, as in carcinogenic.

-osis

a condition or disease, often abnormal or pathological, as in fibrosis or psychosis.

-pathy

a disease or disorder of a specified kind, such as neuropathy or myopathy

-plasty

surgical repair or reconstruction of a specified part, such as rhinoplasty or angioplasty.

AAA

abdominal aortic aneurysm; a localized enlargement (ballooning) of the abdominal aorta, which can lead to severe complications if ruptured

AFI

amniotic fluid index; a measure of the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus used to assess fetal well-being.

ATN

acute tubular necrosis; a kidney condition caused by damage to the renal tubules, often leading to acute kidney injury.

BPD

biparietal diameter; a measurement used in obstetrics to assess fetal growth and development by measuring the distance between the two parietal bones of the fetal skull.

BPH

benign prostatic hypertrophy; a condition characterized by the enlargement of the prostate gland, which can cause urinary difficulties in men.

DM

diabetes mellitus; a group of diseases that affect how the body uses blood sugar (glucose), leading to high blood sugar levels.

DVT

deep vein thrombosis; a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the legs, which can lead to serious complications if not treated.

dx

abbreviation for diagnosis, indicating the identification of a disease or condition based on its signs and symptoms.

edd

estimated due date; the predicted date when a pregnant woman is expected to give birth.

FUO

fever of unknown origin; a condition where a patient has a prolonged fever without an identified cause after extensive investigation.

HI

harmonic imaging; a technique used in ultrasonography that enhances the visualization of anatomical structures by improving the contrast of images.

HTN

hypertension; a medical condition characterized by consistently high blood pressure, which can lead to various cardiovascular complications if left untreated.

HV

hepatic vein; blood vessels that drain deoxygenated blood from the liver.

Hx

history; a record of patient's past health information and medical treatments.

Hydro

related to water or fluids, often used in medical terms involving bodily fluids or conditions affecting them.

IJV

internal jugular vein; a major vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the head and neck back to the heart.

IUD

intrauterine device; a form of long-term contraception placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

LMP

last menstrual period; the date of the first day of a woman's last menstrual cycle, often used to calculate gestational age in pregnancy.

pm

pro re nata; a Latin term meaning "as needed" or "as the situation arises" used in medical prescriptions.

qid

quater in die; a medical abbreviation meaning "four times a day" used in medication dosing.

r/o

rule out; a medical abbreviation used to indicate that a condition is being considered but has not been confirmed.

Rx

treatment (recipe)

TV

transvaginal scan; a medical imaging procedure used to visualize female pelvic organs and assess conditions such as cysts or tumors; usually done in first trimester

UTI

a urinary tract infection, which occurs when bacteria enter the urinary system, causing symptoms such as burning during urination, frequent urination, and lower abdominal pain.

XP

xiphoid process; the smallest structure of the sternum, located at the lower end.

SCAN

sonography clinical assessment notebook; The SCAN is a comprehensive clinical evaluation tool, which aids in the competency assessment for sonography students, sonographers, vascular technologists.