Ultrasound of the Abdomen
Ultrasound imaging of the abdomen uses sound waves to produce pictures of the structures within the upper abdomen. It is used to help diagnose pain or distention (enlargement) and evaluate the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, spleen and abdominal aorta
For example, an abdominal ultrasound can help determine the cause of stomach pain or bloating. It can help check for kidney stones, liver disease, tumors and many other conditions. Your provider may recommend this test if you’re at risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm
Doctors order an abdominal ultrasound when they’re concerned about symptoms such as belly pain, repeated vomiting, abnormal liver or kidney function tests, or a swollen belly. The tests can show them the size of the abdominal organs and help them check for injuries to or diseases of the organs.
Providers use abdominal ultrasound tests to detect:
- Bladder stones.
- Enlarged spleen.
- Gallstones.
- Cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation).
- Pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas).
- Cancer, such as stomach cancer or pancreatic cancer.
- Fatty liver disease.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (a bulge in the aorta wall in your midsection).
If you eat anything within 6 hours of your exam, your gallbladder may not look normal in the ultrasound images. During your fast, you may drink clear liquids such as black coffee, tea, and water. Do not drink anything that contains fat or sugar.
Ultrasound scans use high frequency sound waves to create a picture of a part of the body. They can show up changes, including abnormal growths. You might have one to diagnose a cancer or find out if it has spread.
While inflammatory diseases such as gastritis or ulcers are usually not detected by ultrasonography, a circumscribed thickening of the gastric or duodenal wall with an echogenic center is occasionally seen in gastroduodenal ulcers
This type of ultrasound can detect changes in blood flow through the abdomen. Because the abdomen contains many important body parts, several problems can occur there. Such problems could range from inflammation to abnormal hormonal responses, and they can sometimes indicate the presence of another condition.
Over the past few years, thanks to technological progress in ultrasonography, followed by the increasing experience of physicians, intestinal ultrasound has become an important diagnostic tool in the detection of bowel diseases.
A definitive diagnostic lab test for IBS does not exist. IBS cannot be seen on an ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, or colonoscopy. Patients who see a gastroenterologist for abdominal pain will often have testing and imaging (most commonly an ultrasound or a CT scan) completed to rule out other causes of abdominal pain.