Ultrasound is safe and painless. It produces pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. Ultrasound imaging is also called ultrasound scanning or sonography. It uses a small probe called a transducer and gel placed directly on the skin. High-frequency sound waves travel from the probe through the gel into the body. The probe collects the sounds that bounce back. A computer uses those sound waves to create an image. Ultrasound exams do not use radiation (as used in x-rays). Because images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs. They can also show blood flowing through blood vessels.

Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.

Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images.

Ultrasound examinations can help to diagnose a variety of conditions and to assess organ damage following illness.

Ultrasound is used to help physicians evaluate symptoms such as:

• pain
• swelling
• infection

Ultrasound is a useful way of examining many of the body's internal organs, including but not limited to the:

• heart and blood vessels, including the abdominal aorta and its major branches
• liver
• gallbladder
• spleen
• pancreas
• kidneys
• bladder
• uterus, ovaries, and unborn child (fetus) in pregnant patients
• eyes
• thyroid and parathyroid glands
• scrotum (testicles)
• brain in infants
• hips in infants
• spine in infants