What is the transducer of choice for evaluation of adult abdomen for major organs and why?
Curvilinear probe 2-5 MHz. It has a longer wavelength (Fraunhofer field) for better penetration of deeper structures.
What is the transducer of choice for evaluation of adult abdominal bowels and the mesentery and why?
Linear sector array probe 5-13 MHz. It has a higher frequency (Fresnel field) for better resolution for superficial structures.
What is the transducer of choice for evaluation of young pediatrics abdomen?
A dedicated pediatric curvilinear probe or a dedicated pediatric linear sector probe.
What are some of the organs examined sonographically within the upper abdomen?
Both liver lobes, GB and the biliary tree, pancreas, spleen, blood vessels, both kidneys, bowels.
What is the general pre-requisite patient preparation for abdominal ultrasound examination?
At least 6 hours starvation before examination for non acute and non-emergency patients.
The liver is orthotopic, normal in size (10.06 cm measured in the midclavicular line), shape and echopattern. No intra/ extrahepatic parenchymal focal lesions. The hepatic vessels and the biliary radicles are not dilated. The acalculous gallbladder is normal in distension (5.81 x 1.47 cm) with no evidence of wall thickening or peripheral pathology. The sonographic Murphy's sign is negative. IVC, abdominal aorta and the main portal vein are normal (with the MPV showing normal hepato-petal/antegrade flow).
The pancreas (2.07 x 1.22 x 1.08 cm: AP measurement of head, body and tail) and the spleen (8.43 x 2.77 cm) are normal in echostructure and position. No visceral node enlargement, abdominal/ iliac fossa masses or ascites. The appendix is normal and measures 0.27 cm in diameter with no inflammatory changes or appendicolith.
Both kidneys are well perfused and are normal in their sizes (8.87 x 3.15 cm for the right and 7.03 x 2.99 cm for the left), and shapes with good cortical-medullary differentiation bilaterally and normal cortical thickness. No evidence of renal calculi, hydronephrosis or renal masses/ cysts bilaterally. The urinary bladder and the pelvic floor are normal.