Breast Ultrasound

What is breast ultrasound?

Breast ultrasound is an imaging test that uses sound waves to wait at the within of your breasts. It can help your healthcare provider find breast bug. Information technology too lets your healthcare provider see how well blood is flowing to areas in your breasts. This examination is often used when a change has been seen on a mammogram or when a alter is felt, merely does not show up on a mammogram.

illustration of the anatomy of the female breast, front view

The healthcare provider moves a wand-like device called a transducer over your pare to make the images of your breasts. The transducer sends out sound waves that bounce off your breast tissue. The sound waves are as well loftier-pitched for y'all to hear. The transducer then picks up the bounced sound waves. These are made into pictures of the inside of your breasts.

Your healthcare provider can add some other device called a Doppler probe to the transducer. This probe lets your healthcare provider hear the sound waves the transducer sends out. He or she can hear how fast blood is flowing through a blood vessel and in which management information technology is flowing. No sound or a faint sound may mean that you have a blockage in the flow.

Ultrasound is condom to have during pregnancy because it does non use radiation. Information technology is besides rubber for people who are allergic to dissimilarity dye because it does not use dye.

Why might I demand a breast ultrasound?

A breast ultrasound is about often done to notice out if a problem found by a mammogram or physical exam of the breast may exist a cyst filled with fluid or a solid tumor.

Illustration of the anatomy of the female breast, side view

Breast ultrasound is not commonly done to screen for breast cancer. This is considering it may miss some early on signs of cancer. An example of early signs that may not show up on ultrasound are tiny calcium deposits chosen microcalcifications.

Ultrasound may exist used if you:

  • Have particularly dumbo breast tissue. A mammogram may non be able to come across through the tissue.

  • Are pregnant. Mammography uses radiation, just ultrasound does not. This makes it safer for the fetus.

  • Are younger than age 25

Your healthcare provider may as well apply ultrasound to look at nearby lymph nodes, help guide a needle during a biopsy, or to remove fluid from a cyst.

Your healthcare provider may take other reasons to recommend a chest ultrasound.

What are the risks of a breast ultrasound?

A breast ultrasound has no risk from radiation. Information technology poses no adventure to pregnant women.

Breast ultrasound may miss pocket-size lumps or solid tumors that are unremarkably found with mammography. Being obese or having very large breasts may make the ultrasound less accurate.

You may have risks depending on your specific wellness condition. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about any concerns you accept before the process.

How practice I go ready for a breast ultrasound?

  • Your healthcare provider volition explain the procedure to you. Ask any questions y'all have about the process.

  • You lot may be asked to sign a consent grade that gives permission to do the test. Read the form advisedly and inquire questions if anything is not clear.

  • You do non need to stop eating or drinking before the test. You also will not need medicine to help y'all relax.

  • You lot should not put any lotion, pulverisation, or other substances on your breasts on the day of the test.

  • Wear clothing that you can easily accept off. Or wear article of clothing that lets the radiologist or technologist reach your chest. The gel put on your peel during the test does not stain clothing, merely y'all may want to wear older clothing. The gel may not be completely removed from your skin later.

  • Follow whatever other instructions your healthcare provider gives you to get fix.

What happens during a breast ultrasound?

You may have a chest ultrasound equally an outpatient or as part of your stay in a hospital. The fashion the test is washed may vary depending on your status and your healthcare provider's practices.

Generally, breast ultrasound follows this procedure:

  1. You volition be asked to remove any jewelry and clothing from the waist up. Yous volition exist given a gown to article of clothing.

  2. You volition lie on your back on an examination table. You will be asked to raise your arm in a higher place your head on the side of the breast to exist looked at. Or you may be placed on your side.

  3. The technologist will put a articulate, warm gel on the skin over the breast surface area to exist looked at.

  4. The technologist will press the transducer against the peel and move it over the area being studied.

  5. Once the examination is done, the technologist volition wipe off the gel.

What happens afterward a breast ultrasound?

Yous do non need whatever special care after a breast ultrasound. Your healthcare provider may give you other instructions, depending on your situation.