Sono+Term

Anechoic

completely dark or black on an ultrasound image because it doesn’t reflect any sound waves

Echogenic

bright or white on an ultrasound image because the tissue reflects a lot of sound waves back to the machine.

Hypoechoic

Low-level echoes within a structure, the area looks darker than the surrounding tissue on an ultrasound image because it reflects fewer sound waves.

Isoechoic

Very close to the normal parenchyma echogenicity pattern

Heterogeneous

Not uniform in texture or composition; common in many tumors.

Homogeneous

Completely uniform in texture or composition; often seen in organs like the liver.

Enhancement

Increased brightness seen posterior to an anechoic structure, indicating good through transmission.

Shadowing

A dark area behind a structure that blocks the sound waves; something dense stops the sound from passing through creating a shadow

Fluid-fluid Level

Interface between two fluids with different acoustic characteristics; changes with patient position.

Infiltrating

Usually refers to a diffuse disease process or metastatic disease.

Irregular Borders

Borders that are not well defined or absent, often seen in abscesses and thrombus.

Loculated Mass

Well-defined borders separating fluid filled compartments

Hyperechoic

Too bright; structures that reflect sound strongly, such as gallstones.

Fluid-filled

Describes a structure that is filled with fluid and typically appears anechoic on ultrasound.

Cyst

A fluid-filled sac that is typically anechoic on ultrasound.

Vascular structures

Structures such as veins and arteries that usually appear as anechoic on ultrasound.

Gallbladder

An organ that can appear anechoic when filled with bile.

Urinary Bladder

A fluid-filled organ that usually appears anechoic on sonograms.

Amniotic Cavity

Fluid-filled space surrounding the fetus, typically appearing anechoic.

Baker's cyst

A fluid-filled cyst at the back of the knee that may show heterogeneous echogenicity.

Dermoid Tumor

A tumor that may contain different types of tissue and show fluid-fluid levels.

Carcinoid infiltration

A type of infiltrating disease process characterized by the presence of carcinoid tumors.

Sarcoid infiltration

A type of infiltrating disease associated with immune system overreacting and forming small clumps of inflammation called granulomas.

Hepatic hemangioma

A benign liver tumor often appearing hyper-echoic on ultrasound.

Fibroid

A benign tumor of the uterus that often appears hypoechoic compared to normal uterine tissue.

Abscess

A collection of pus that often appears as a heterogeneous mass with irregular borders.

Thrombus

A blood clot that may appear as a heterogeneous mass with irregular borders.

Renal Stones

Calcified structures in the kidneys that can cause shadowing on ultrasound.

Cholelithiasis

The condition of having gallstones that can cause shadowing.

Diaphragm

A muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity; may be visualized in ultrasound.

Transducer

An instrument used in ultrasound to emit and receive sound waves.

Acoustic Characteristics

how different parts of the body reflect absorb or transmit sound waves

Through Transmission

the ability of sound waves to pass straight through a area without being blocked or absorbed