Basic Ultrasound Imaging (copy)

Coronal Plane Scan

Top is lateral, bottom is medial. Left is superior and right is inferior

Transverse Plane Scan

Top is anterior, bottom is posterior. Left is right and right is left. Move transducer up or down.

Longitudinal Plane Scan

Top is anterior, bottom is posterior. Left is superior and right is inferior. Move transducer left or right.

Screen Orientation

Top of screen always refers to what transducer is touching. Left side of screen always refers to where the notch is pointing.

Echogenic

Having echoes.

Posterior Shadowing

Sound is more attenuated, and area appears darker.

Posterior Enhancement AKA enhancement through transmission

Posterior to anechoic fluid-filled structures. Sound is less attenuated.

Homogeneous

Uniform in texture or echogenicity. Typically refers to sonographic appearance of a single structure.

Fluid-Fluid level

Interface between two fluids with different acoustic features. Will move when pt moves.

Heterogeneous AKA inhomogeneous

Not uniform in textured or echogenicity.

Border Descriptors and purpose

Irregular, ill-defined, round/oval or well-defined. Can help identify malignancy.

Simple Composition

Anechoic fluid filled structure. (predominantly cystic structure)

Complex Composition

Combination of simple and solid.

Solid Composition

Made up of tissue. (predominantly cystic structure)

Lobulated border

Appears like a cloud, can be micro or macro.

Indistinct border

Hard to determine borders

Mural Nodule

solid growth attached to the wall (can be used to describe a complex structure)

Papillary Projection

projecting into the center of lesion, growing off the wall (can be used to describe a complex structure)

Echogenic Foci (focus)

hyperechoic little white spots

Loculated Composition

Multiple fluid compartments, free fluid

Septated Composition

within a well-define cystic structure

Sonographic Artifacts

Occur as structures that are: not real, missing, misplaced, or improper brightness/shape/size. In some cases, can be help diagnostically such as posterior shadowing/enhancement.

Some Sonographic Artifacts

Shadowing, Enhancement, Reverberation, Comet tail/ring down, Mirror image or Dirty Shadow

Criteria for Identifying Abnormalities: Border

smooth and well-defined or irregular

Criteria for Identifying Abnormalities: Texture

homogeneous or heterogeneous

Criteria for Identifying Abnormalities: Characteristic

anechoic, hyperechoic, echogenic, isoechoic, or hypoechoic

Criteria for Identifying Abnormalities: Transmission of sound

Increased (enhanced) decreased (shadow) or unchanged.

Mirror Image

Shows an extra copy of a reflector deep to the actual structure. Caused by a strong reflector.

Reverberation

Multiple equidistant reflections that occur between the transducer and a strong reflector. Has a stepladder appearance, only the first one is real and will be the brightest.

Dirty Shadow

Shadow AND reverberation together. Due to bowels, silicone breast implants, etc.

Comet tail/ring down

Reverberation without spaces. Seen posterior to air bubbles. Has a flashlight appearance, similar to a lighter shadow.

Prone

Supine

Right Lateral Decubitus

knees bent, typically arms over head

Left lateral decubitus

knees bent, typically arms over head

Right posterior oblique

Left posterior oblique