Pelvic Ultrasound

Overview

A pelvic ultrasound is a procedure that uses reflected sound waves to produce a picture of the lower abdominal (pelvic) organs and other structures inside the pelvis. It does not use x-rays or other types of radiation.

A pelvic ultrasound looks at the organs within the pelvis, including:

• The bladder, ovaries, uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes of a woman
• The bladder, prostate gland, and seminal vesicles of a man

A pelvic ultrasound is most useful for looking at organs and structures that are solid and uniform, like the uterus, ovaries, or prostate gland, or are fluid-filled, like the bladder. Mineralized structures, like bones, or air-filled organs, like the intestines, do not show up well on a sonogram and will disrupt the ultrasound beam so that deeper organs and structures cannot be seen clearly.

In all types of pelvic ultrasound, the transducer sends out high-pitched sounds (above the range of human hearing) that are reflected back to the transducer. A computer analyzes the sound waves and converts them into a picture that is displayed on a video monitor. The picture produced by ultrasound is called a sonogram, echogram, or scan. Pictures or videos of the ultrasound images may be saved as a permanent record.

• Transvaginal Ultrasound
  Transvaginal ultrasound is used to evaluate a variety of abnormalities of the female genital tract.
• Transbladder Ultrasound