Ultrasound

You may be told that you need an ultrasound as a follow-up to your mammogram.  Ultrasound is an imaging technique that bounces sound waves off internal structures to create an image or series of images called a sonogram. You may be more familiar with this technique as the way fetal development is checked in pregnant women. When a woman or her physician has felt a lump, or when a mammogram raises questions about an area of the breast, ultrasound can be used to provide more information and to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures.  Ultrasound is also sometimes used when the tissue of the breast is very dense and prevents the breast radiologist from getting a clear mammographic view of an area of interest.

The following are answers to the most common questions specific to this procedure:

What is a breast ultrasound?
Breast ultrasonography is used as a mammography supplement to help distinguish the characteristics of a lump or a breast mass. Use of ultrasound allows our physicians to avoid recommending unnecessary surgical procedures. Ultrasound is performed by the radiologist when it is needed to help make a diagnosis or to clarify mammographic information.

When is an ultrasound exam done?
An ultrasound breast exam is primarily used as a diagnostic tool – it is not a primary screening method for breast cancer. It may be done when:

1. An area of concern has been found on a diagnostic mammogram.
   
2. You are experiencing nipple drainage, or have an area where the skin has retracted on your breast.
   
3. You have very dense breasts. When breasts are mostly dense, rather than fatty tissue, mammograms are not as good at detecting cancer because dense tissue shows up on the film as white in color, like cancer.
   

How is the ultrasound done?
While you are lying on your back on a padded table, a transducer is run over the area of the breast to be imaged. This painless procedure uses sound waves to show structures inside the breast.

Do I need to do anything special before having this procedure?
No.

When will I get the results?
The same day that you have your ultrasound.