What Can an Ultrasound Detect?

The first thing most people think of when they hear the word “ultrasound” is a pregnant woman lying on an examination table and looking at an image of her unborn child. But that’s only one of the many diagnostic purposes of ultrasound technology.

What Health Issues Can an Ultrasound Find?

In addition to pregnancy, ultrasound can be used to detect a wide range of digestive problems, including:

 ● Cysts

 ● Gallstones

 ● Abnormal enlargement of the spleen

 ● Abnormal growths in the liver or pancreas

 ● Liver cancer

 ● Fatty liver disease

While ultrasound images are not as detailed as those gathered from CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, they are good at capturing images of certain soft-tissue diseases that are hard to find with an X-ray quickly and without exposing patients to radiation.