The latest in digital sound wave imaging technology, breast ultrasound produces detailed images of breast lumps and irregular formations. It's painless, prompt, and can supplement the information obtained from a mammogram.
Norwalk Radiology's Suite for Women's Imaging breast ultrasound is done with high-frequency digital sound waves that produce an extremely clear picture of the internal structures of the breast. Breast specialists often recommend ultrasound as the first procedure for assessing palpable lumps in women younger than 30 years and to determine the nature of a breast abnormality detected by mammography. Breast ultrasound is also used to pinpoint a suspicious mass when conducting a breast biopsy or cyst aspiration.
Breast ultrasound is just one of the digital ultrasound options offered at the Suite for Women's Imaging at Norwalk Radiology. Additional ultrasound exams that are available include:
Pelvic Ultrasound
Vascular Ultrasound
Abdominal Ultrasound
Breast ultrasound (or sonography) is often used to evaluate breast abnormalities that are found with a mammogram or clinical breast exam performed by a physician. Some breast lesions and abnormalities are not visible or are difficult to interpret on a mammogram. If breast tissue is dense (meaning there is a lot of glandular tissue and less fat) many tumors can be hard to distinguish on a mammogram since both the dense tissue and the tumor appear white.
The ultrasound uses high-frequency waves that are emitted from a transducer through the breast. The transducer glides over the breast emitting sound waves and picks up echoes for the body part being scanned. The ultrasound machine analyzes the echoes and produces images for the radiologist to review. The shape and intensity of the echoes will depend on the density of the breast tissue. If a fluid-filled cyst is being imaged, most of the sound waves will pass through the cyst and emit faint echoes. If a solid tumor is imaged, sound waves will bounce off the tumor, and the pattern of echoes will be translated by the computer into a picture that the radiologist will recognize as indicating a solid mass. Patients may feel a slight pressure from the transducer as it glides over the skin.
