Sound Medicine:
Understanding
Ultrasound and its Benefits
Pictures of Health
Chances are, someone you know has undergone an ultrasound
exam. Whether it's to get a first glimpse of a developing baby in the womb or to determine the risk of heart attack, doctors
use ultrasound widely in women and men, children and seniors to gain advanced insights into the inner workings of the body.
In fact, ultrasound is the most utilized form of diagnostic imaging available today - after X-ray exams.
Despite today's sophisticated, high-tech systems, ultrasound
remains a science built upon the simple sound wave. By beaming high-frequency sound waves into the body, physicians can translate
the "echoes" that bounce off body tissues and organs into "sound you can see," colorful, visual images that provide valuable
medical information. Heart disease, stroke, abnormalities in the abdomen or reproductive system, and more - all exhibit telltale
signs that ultrasound can help to detect.
Safe, affordable and non-invasive, ultrasound is also
portable. Very sick or fragile patients, for example, who might not be able to travel to a radiology lab without risking further
injury, can essentially have the lab wheeled to them. That's an important advantage when you need to conduct an exam on a
grandmother who is bedridden or an incubator-bound premature baby. For half a century now, ultrasound has been there to help
families and their doctors determine what's wrong-or not-with the body and determine the best, most effective means possible
to get and stay healthy.
Ultrasound Makes History
1998 marks the 50th anniversary of diagnostic ultrasound.
From the late 1940s, when scans were done on patients seated in water-filled gun turrets to the late 1990s, when Color Doppler
(as seen in TV weather reports) introduced color to black and white images, ultrasound has always been at the forefront of
modern medicine.
Beginning as a science of navigation, the first form
of ultrasound-called SONAR-was used on war ships during WWII for navigating the seas by bouncing sound waves off the ocean
floor and interpreting the "echoes." In the late 1940s, scientists began experimenting with these sound waves in a new way-to
image the human body similar to X-ray. In the 1950s and '60s, doctors used ultrasound with heart patients, while also branching
out into obstetrics, gynecology and abdominal uses. These early images looked like a seismograph output (a record of an earthquake)
with spikes and lines, depicting returning sound waves. In the 1970s, grayscale imaging was introduced, providing physicians
with the first opportunity to see a cross-section of a person's anatomy. In the early 1980s, computer software was "married"
to ultrasound technology to usher in the age of modern ultrasound. Today, ultrasound is a sophisticated, 21st-century, computer-integrated
diagnostic tool that provides dynamic and crisp visual insights into the human body.
Ultrasound's historic role in modern medicine is being
documented by the Smithsonian Institution. Among recent acquisitions to the permanent collection of the National Museum of
American History are two ultrasound machines from California-based Acuson Corporation.
Women's Health
As a woman, maintaining your good health often means
being proactive. Using ultrasound, you and your doctor can take the lead in monitoring a variety of health conditions from
heart disease to breast abnormalities to several gynecological problems-accurately while limiting invasive procedures.
Heart Disease
Contrary to popular belief, heart disease is the No.
1 killer of women in the United States and stroke is the No. 1 cause of serious, long-term disability. But according to the
American Heart Association, many women never receive the advance treatment they need. For patients showing symptoms of illness,
ultrasound can examine the heart and circulatory system and provide important information about their structure and function.
Ultrasound images can measure the chambers of the heart, visualize valve abnormalities as well as evaluate the efficiency
of the heart in pumping blood to the rest of the body-all of which can help with early detection by determining the presence
or risk of heart disease, including coronary artery disease.
Gynecology
A physician can use ultrasound to detect a wide array
of gynecological conditions. For example, if you experience pelvic pain, ultrasound may be used as part of a standard pelvic
exam to find or rule out conditions like internal bleeding, pelvic inflammatory disease, abscesses and pelvic masses. Infertility
issues can also be addressed. New higher resolution ultrasound systems allow physicians to safely monitor and examine the
reproductive system in the early stages of embryo development in the fertility process. Post-menopausal women and any women
over 45 have an increased risk of gynecological problems such as cysts on the ovaries and uterus. If your doctor suspects
any of these problems, an ultrasound examination can confirm or identify these concerns.
Breast Imaging
Breast cancer is a top concern of women in the United
States, and it should be-more than 178,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year and over 43,000 die, according to
the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Data shows that 95 percent of women who cancer is detected early have a greater
survival rate than those whose cancer is detected in latter stages.
As an adjunct to mammography, ultrasound can be a primary
breast imaging application for women under the age of 40 who have dense breasts, or breast implants or breastfeed. Ultrasound
can also help doctors assess masses that are detected in mammograms, aid in the detection of cysts and guide breast biopsies.
If you are 35, physicians suggest a breast exam each year as a part of your routine health regimen.
Men's Health
Ultrasound can help diagnose a wide variety of conditions
in men, ranging from heart disease to abnormalities in the prostate gland or testicles. Because ultrasound works by bouncing
sound waves off of organs and other tissues, it can also be used to look for gallstones, liver damage and kidney dysfunction.
Heart Disease
Heart disease kills more than 455,000 men each year (double
the number of men killed by cancer), making it the single largest killer of males in the United States, according to the American
Heart Association.
By using ultrasound, doctors may be able to pinpoint
trouble spots and help men avoid life-threatening heart conditions as well as stroke and hypertension, which also are leading
killers of men. For example, a doctor can image the heart muscle to detect damage, congenital defects or hereditary abnormalities.
By imaging the carotid artery using Color Doppler ultrasound, doctors can check for the development of plaque-the precursor
to potentially, deadly coronary artery disease, the cause of 80 percent of all heart attacks. In some cases, this can help
to predict the chances of developing coronary artery disease, allowing doctors the opportunity to prescribe early treatment
options.
Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate is the most common cancer among
American men, affecting about one in five men during the course of a lifetime-and the most common cause of death from cancer
in men over age 75. Recently, more attention has been given to this disease, which involves the prostate gland, a walnut-sized
reproductive gland located near the back of the penis. Some well-known figures who have battled and survived prostate cancer
are former senator Bob Dole and NFL great Rosie Greer. Prostate cancer is most common among African-American men over 60 years
old and a health risk that all men should take seriously.
Each year in September, urology clinics across the United
States observe Prostate Cancer Awareness Week when free or discounted diagnostic exams are offered to encourage men's continued
vigilance about their prostate health.
As with other cancers for which a cause is unknown, early
detection is the most valuable weapon in this battle. If a problem in the prostate is suspected, ultrasound can allow a physician
or radiologist to accurately acquire a tissue sample or biopsy from areas of the prostate. The exam is conducted through the
use of a small probe and may be carried out in conjunction with other exams, including the important prostate-specific antigen
(PSA) blood test; most men with prostate cancer show elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen, a protein that is produced
by the prostate gland.
Family Health
A hospital can be a scary place for a child. Because
diagnostic information from an ultrasound exam is gathered instantly while the exam is taking place, a doctor and a concerned
parent can learn immediately what may be wrong with the child without scaring him or her or involving any painful procedures.
With children, doctors commonly use ultrasound to detect
a variety of illnesses and disorders. Small, lightweight transducers allow them to examine the child easily and painlessly.
For example, a physician may use ultrasound to examine a child's gastrointestinal tract for signs of appendicitis or a baby's
bone structure for alignment problems like congenital hip dislocation or spina bifida. An ultrasound exam of the head can
detect hydrocephaly (water on the brain), intracranial hemorrahage (bleeding in the skull) and other conditions of the head.
Musculoskeletal
Seniors, too, can benefit from ultrasound imaging. It
can be used to determine soft-tissue injury such as nerve damage, ganglions (tumors growing on a tendon) or other superficial
injuries. Sports medicine has also benefited from ultrasound, such as the examination of sports-related injuries like stressed
ligaments in the knee or an injured rotator cuff (shoulder). The ability to look closely at moving tendons in the hand is
of significant clinical benefit to orthopedic and hand surgeons. Using ultrasound, doctors can see internal structures of
nerves in the wrist to determine if they're trapped or swollen, potentially causing carpal tunnel syndrome. Musculoskeletal
disorders are among the most prevalent medical conditions in the United States, affecting seven percent of the population.
Muscle injuries to the ankle, hip, knee or elbow can also be addressed using this portable and safe diagnostic modality.
Ultrasound can also be used to examine organ-related
disorders at any age, but especially useful for seniors with gallstones, kidney disease or abnormalities in the colon.
Whether it's an MRI, CT scan or ultrasound exam, diagnostic
procedures are a critical element in detecting disease before it progresses. Kidney cancer is a serious disease, which accounts
for more than 11,000 deaths in the U.S. each year and is most commonly seen in people aged 50 to 70. And it's people over
the age of 50 who are more likely to develop colon cancer; the country's second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
Seen only women, endometriosis is a disorder in which cysts form in the reproductive system causing pain and bleeding during
the menstrual cycle and sexual intercourse. Ultrasound can play a key role in detection.
Mother and Baby
The most well known application of ultrasound is its
use in fetal imaging. Now, more than ever, fingers, toes, ears, genitals, eye lashes-they all shine through with remarkable
clarity-offering expectant parents assurance that everything's okay and helping mom and her doctor do their best to avoid
things which might go wrong.
Because ultrasound uses sound waves to create its images,
it has been shown to be safe for both mother and child. A physician or technologist moves a transducer-a device that produces
high frequency sound waves and is used in all ultrasound exams-across the mother's abdomen; the transducer then receives the
echoes coming back from the baby as a visual picture that is displayed on the system monitor which can be saved and later
printed.
Pregnancy
Ultrasound can be useful in high-risk pregnancy and infertility.
Doctors can predict premature delivery by examining the size of the cervix. They can also screen for fallopian tube patency
and detect ectopic pregnancies (the fertilized egg grows outside the uterus). Twenty percent of ectopic pregnancies turn into
emergency situations when they are detected too late and as a result rupture pelvic organs and cause internal bleeding, according
to Dr. C. Everett Koop, former United States Surgeon General.
Fetal Imaging
A complete fetal examination using ultrasound involves
imaging the baby's head, heart, kidneys, spine, stomach, umbilical cord, bladder and placenta to determine if any abnormalities
exist. The same fetal exam can also be used to check for the possibility of multiple births, unusual orientation, and if the
baby is positioned correctly, the sex can also be determined. By taking measurements of the fetus, a doctor can also determine
the gestational age of the baby to help date the pregnancy.
In some cases, early in the first trimester, a special
examination using an endovaginal (inside the vagina) transducer may be conducted to check for conditions not easily recognized
with the standard, more widely used trans-abdominal (outside the abdomen) examination.
Take An Active Role in Your
Ultrasound Exam
As a patient, you can (and should) take an active role
in ensuring your ultrasound provides the most diagnostic information possible. This starts with asking questions about what
is involved and following your doctor's instructions about pre-exam procedures, such as drinking water before an obstetric
exam.
This also includes requesting that a certified sonographer
performs your exam. The American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, which tests the competency of sonographers,
has certified more than 30,000 non-physicians to perform ultrasound studies. Once certified, these individuals use credentials,
much like nurses use the RN credential. The three credentials are RDMS - Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer; RDCS -
Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer; and RVT - Registered Vascular Technologist.
For more information about who is qualified to perform
your ultrasound exam, contact the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography click here.
To learn more about ultrasound and the health conditions
described in this brochure, contact these valuable sources via telephone or the Internet:*
* These links
are being provided for informational purposes only. SDMS does not endorse the Web sites or their content. | 
