Diagnostic Small Parts Ultrasounds
1. Thyroid Gland Ultrasound
2. Testicular (Scrotum) Ultrasound
3. Transrectal Prostate Ultrasound
2.About your Exam – Testicular (Scrotum).
What You Should Know About Your Ultrasound Examination
Your doctor has just requested an examination…of your scrotum using ultrasound. Although you may have heard about ultrasound before, or possibly been examined with ultrasound in the past, you still may have questions about your examination. The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, an organization of doctors, sonographers, and scientists, has compiled these questions and answers to explain how ultrasound works.
What Is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound is like ordinary sound except it has a frequency (or pitch) higher than human beings can hear. When sent into the body from an instrument called a transducer placed on a patient’s skin, the sound is reflected off structures inside the body. The returning echoes are received by the transducer and converted into an image of the internal structures on a monitor like a television. These continually changing images can be recorded on film, paper, videotape, or computer. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging is commonly called sonography. In a scrotal examination, ultrasound produces images of the testes, epididymes (ducts behind the testes that hold sperm), and their blood vessels and coverings.
What Is Doppler Ultrasound?
Doppler is a special form of ultrasound used in evaluating blood flow to and from the testes and epididymides. It can be displayed in variable formats: as a sound, as a color picture of the blood vessels, or as a graph showing changes over time in the blood flow speed.
Why Should I Have an Ultrasound Examination?
There are many reasons for examining the scrotum with ultrasound. Among the more common reasons are
* to look for causes of scrotal pain, including epididymo-orchitis (inflammation), testicular torsion (twisted testes), and varicocele (a swelling that feels like a bag of worms and causes a dull pain);
* to look for causes of masses felt by the patient or doctor and assess their nature and site of origin, including testicular cancer, epididymal cysts, or tumors;
* to evaluate the cause of scrotal swelling, such as hydrocele (fluid collection), scrotal hernias, scrotal edema (swelling), inflammation, or infection;
* to evaluate the causes of infertility, such as varicoceles, testicular atrophy, or obstruction of the connecting ducts;
* to evaluate the extent of damage caused by trauma to the scrotum; or
* to look for the location of undescended testes.
Ultrasound may not provide all the information your doctor requires. In these cases, additional studies may be required.
Are There Any Special Preparations for the Examination?
No preparation is necessary.
Will It Hurt?
There is no pain involved in an ultrasound examination of your scrotum. The transducer is placed on the skin surface after a gel is applied to your scrotum to provide better contact. The gel may feel cool and may temporarily leave a mark on your clothes so you may want to wear easily washable clothing.
How Long Will It Take?
The scrotal ultrasound examination takes about 15 minutes but may take longer in more difficult examinations.
Who Will Perform the Examination?
In most cases, a sonographer – a technologist trained in sonography – will examine you. He or she obtains and records a series of images. The doctor then looks at the images and discusses your examination with the sonographer and issues an official interpretation. In some cases, the doctor also will examine you to confirm or resolve uncertain findings or a diagnosis.
Is Ultrasound Safe?
Widespread clinical use of diagnostic ultrasound for many years has revealed no harmful effects. Studies in humans also have revealed no direct link between the use of diagnostic ultrasound and any adverse outcomes. Although the possibility exists that biological effects may be identified in the future, current information indicates that the benefits to patients far outweigh the risks, if any.
What Are the Limitations of the Examination?
Scrotal ultrasound examination limitations are very few, if any. The ultrasound examination quality depends on the frequency of the transducer, on the ultrasound equipment used, and on the examiner’s experience.
How Much Does the Exam Cost?
The price of an ultrasound examination varies depending on the reason for the examination and the complexity of the equipment used. Generally, insurance companies will help cover the cost of ultrasound examinations of the scrotum.
© American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Back to top.
3. About your Exam – Prostate
What You Should Know About Your Ultrasound Examination
Your doctor has just requested an examination…of your prostate using ultrasound. Although you may have heard about ultrasound before, or possibly been examined with ultrasound in the past, you still may have questions about your examination. The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) – an association of doctors, sonographers and scientists – has provided these questions and answers to explain how ultrasound works.
What Is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound is like ordinary sound except it has a frequency (or pitch) higher than human beings are able to hear. When sent into your body by an instrument called a transducer, the sound is reflected off your internal organs and the returning echoes are converted by an electronic instrument into images on a monitor, similar to a television screen. These continually changing images can be recorded on videotape or film. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging commonly is called sonography or ultrasonography.
Is Ultrasound Safe?
There are no known harmful effects associated with the medical use of sonography. Widespread clinical use of diagnostic ultrasound for many years has revealed no harmful effects. Studies in humans have revealed no direct link between the use of diagnostic ultrasound and any adverse outcomes. Although the possibility exists that biological effects may be identified in the future, current information indicates that the benefits to patients of the prudent use of diagnostic ultrasound far outweigh the risks, if any, that may be present.
What Is the Prostate?
The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It is about the size and shape of a walnut and weighs about 1 ounce. The prostate is located between the bladder and the rectum. The prostate surrounds the urethra, a tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis. The main function of the prostate gland is to produce fluid for semen.
Why Should I Have an Ultrasound of my Prostate?
Many diseases and conditions involve the prostate gland, including structural abnormalities, infection, hypertrophy (enlargement), and cancer. Ultrasound images are used together with a physical examination and blood tests to identify these diseases or conditions. Specific diagnoses, such as cancer of the prostate, require a biopsy, which means that a tissue sample is obtained from the suspicious area. If a suspicious lesion is identified by ultrasound or by a rectal examination, an ultrasound- guided biopsy may be performed. This is done by advancing a needle into your prostate gland under ultrasound guidance. A small amount of tissue is taken for microscopic examination.
What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is a disease that affects the cells of your prostate gland. Normally, cells grow and divide in an orderly way, but when cancer cells grow, they continue to divide when they are not supposed to, forming a tumor. Cancerous prostate tumors can block the flow of urine and, if untreated, can spread to other parts of your body.
How Is the Ultrasound Examination Performed?
Because your prostate gland is located immediately in front of your rectum, the transducer is covered with a condom, lubricated, and placed into your rectum. The sound will be required to travel only a short distance to your prostate, and this results in a high-resolution or good quality picture. The room in which the ultrasound exam is performed is usually darkened so that the images on the monitor can be seen clearly.
Who Performs the Ultrasound Exam?
The exam may be performed by a doctor or a specially trained person called a sonographer. When a sonographer performs the examination, a doctor will interpret the results of the exam. The findings will be reported to the doctor who referred you for the exam.
Is Specific Preparation Required?
For some patients, an enema is used before ultrasound of the prostate. If a biopsy is required, you may be given antibiotics, either in a pill form or through a shot, before and after the biopsy. Be sure to inform your doctor of any drugs you are taking and if you are allergic to any drugs.
Will It Hurt?
If a biopsy is not needed, an ultrasound examination of your prostate is similar in discomfort to a rectal examination performed by your doctor. If a biopsy is performed, additional discomfort, due to the needle insertion, is usually minimal because the rectal wall is relatively insensitive near the prostate. The discomfort of a biopsy is similar to that of a blood test.
How Long Will the Exam Take?
The amount of time will vary depending on the reason for your examination, whether a biopsy is needed, and how your prostate appears on ultrasound. The ultrasound exam or scan usually takes less than 20 minutes to perform but may take up to 45 minutes if a biopsy is needed.
How Will I Feel After the Examination?
As after any rectal examination, you may experience some mucous discharge or bleeding from your rectum, especially if you have hemorrhoids. In the case of biopsy, many patients will have a small amount of blood in the stool, urine, or semen after the procedure.
What are the Risks of This Examination?
If you have hemorrhoids or other rectal lesions, you may have discomfort during the exam. Mild bleeding may result if these conditions exist. If a biopsy is performed, you can have bleeding. This may last for a day to weeks after the biopsy, but is usually minor in nature. There is a small risk of infection from the biopsy. If you develop a fever or if other symptoms of infection occur after the biopsy, you should contact your doctor so that he or she can give you additional antibiotics. If an infection occurs, it is usually minor and can be treated easily if reported right away.
© American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.