Breast Ultrasound

Ultrasound, Breast

Test Overview

A breast ultrasound uses sound waves to make a picture of the tissues inside the breast. A breast ultrasound can show all areas of the breast, including the area closest to the chest wall, which is hard to study with a mammogram. Breast ultrasound does not use X-rays or other types of radiation.

A breast ultrasound is used to see whether a breast lump is filled with fluid (a cyst) or if it is a solid lump. An ultrasound does not replace the need for a mammogram; however, it is often used to check a problem seen on a mammogram.

For a breast ultrasound, a small hand-held unit called a transducer is gently passed back and forth over the breast. The sound waves are made into a picture that shows on a TV screen. The picture is called a sonogram, echogram, or ultrasound scan.

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Author:	Carrie Henley Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: June 12, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology
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