Sonographic Terminology
DIAGNOSTIC RADIOGRAPHY · NTA LEVEL 4 · SEMESTER TWO Sonographic Terminology CRT04210 · Ultrasound Imaging START READING NOTES Study Sonographic Terminology using the sections below. Use the topic navigation to continue through Ultrasound Imaging. Contents of This Topic CUHAS Ultrasound image Echogenicity Echogenicity of a structure is described relative to surrounding or adjacent tissue Due to sickle cell nephropathy, Right kidney Hypoechoic:spleen Liver Sonographic Terminology Anechoic Isoechoic-The same intensity Another example of an oval-shaped solid isoechoic mass adjacent to the lower pole of the spleen. ECHOTEXTURE Homogeneous Heterogeneous IMAGE ARTIFACTS Useful image artifacts Posterior acoustic enhancement False posterior acoustic enhancement ATTENUATION This pelvic mass causing sound attenuation and shadowing is due to a large dense posterior myoma in the uterus. POSTERIOR ACOUSTIC SHADOWING Complete lack of acoustical & anatomical information in the area of shadowing Types of shadows Summary;types of echoes sharp/clean/black shadow The arrows point to a gray The arrow points to a gray REVERBERATION TYPES OF MASSES SONOGRAPHIC FEATURES:CYSTIC MASSES SONOGRAPHIC FEATURES:SOLID MASSES COMPLEX MASSES An example of a complex, predominantly cystic mass. Predominantly cystic Predominantly solid Unusual sonographic features:Echogenic cyst SONOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF A MASS This is a lobulated, anechoic liver mass with suggestion of a few internal echoes. CUHAS SONOGRAPHIC TERMINOLOGY Ultrasound image Composed of a variety of bright dots on a film that vary in intensity according to the strength of returning echoes from tissues or structures in the body Provides anatomic and non-anatomic information Echogenicity Brightness of the dots generated by returning echoes from the body Intensity of echoes reflected by tissues or structures from inside the body Echogenicity of a structure is described relative to surrounding or adjacent tissue Echogenicity Echogenicity Hyperechoic High intensity echoes — Moderate intensity Hypoechoic Low intensity echoes Anechoic No internal echoes Isoechoic Same intensity echoes Echogenicity of a structure is described relative to surrounding or adjacent tissue Hyperechoic High intensity echoes The hyperechoic solid mass within this spleen represents a focal deposit of lymphoma. Due to sickle cell nephropathy, the cortex of this kidney is hyperechoic relative to the adjacent liver parenchyma, which, due to its size, becomes the standard of comparison for most adjacent parenchymal organs. Right kidney The round mass in this kidney is relatively hyperechoic when compared to the adjacent renal cortex. The echogenicity of a mass is compared to its organ of origin. Although the tumor itself is not very bright in echogenicity, it contains tiny hyperechoic foci due to microcalcifications scattered throughout the mass, which is a renal cell carcinoma (hypernephroma). Hypoechoic:spleen This is an image the spleen, which is of moderate echogenicity, and contains several hypoechoic masses (arrows) representing deposits of lymphoma.The masses are hypoechoic relative to surrounding normal splenic parenchyma. The relative echogenicity of a mass is compared to the echogenicity of the organ to which it relates. Liver A large lobulated hypoechoic masses of low echogenicity represent metastatic deposits within the liver . The masses are hypoechoic relative to adjacent normal liver parenchyma. M Sonographic Terminology In this transverse scan of the scrotum, the normal right (R) testis is moderately echogenic, while the left (L) is enlarged and hypoechoic due to testicular cancer. The standard for comparison in this case is the contralateral normal-sized (right) testis. L Anechoic Anechoic means without echoes or having no internal echoes. Simple fluid generally has no internal reflections and is anechoic. Isoechoic-The same intensity The dominant mass in this picture is an enlarged spleen. Adjacent to the spleen are two small round isoechoic masses representing splenules or accessory spleens. They are of the same echogenicity as the spleen itself. Another example of an oval-shaped solid isoechoic mass adjacent to the lower pole of the spleen. The mass is of the same echogenicity as the spleen. ECHOTEXTURE Homogeneous -uniform echoes Heterogeneous -non-uniform echoes Echotexture refers to the uniformity of echoes within a mass. Echotexture can be homogeneous, in which case the echoes are uniform, or inhomogeneous, in which case the echoes are non-uniform. Homogeneous Uniform echoes Fine, smooth texture Includes slightly coarse texture The liver in this patient with chronic hepatitis has a very homogeneous echotexture. Sonographic Terminology This mass is almost entirely filled with low-level homogeneous internal echoes, which are very uniform in their appearance and distribution. The straight line in the mass is due to an interface of fluid and blood in an ovarian endometrioma, which is shown on this sagittal transvaginal scan. Heterogeneous Non-uniform echoes Irregular texture Sonographic Terminology This liver is very heterogeneous in its echotexture due to multiple small hyperechoic rounded masses scattered throughout the parenchyma due to a myriad of small hemangiomas in this case of diffuse hemangiomatosis. Sonographic Terminology This heterogeneous mass with echoes of variable intensities: high, medium and none, represents the internal contents of a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. IMAGE ARTIFACTS Improper representation of structures on an image due to certain characteristics of the imaging technique Non-anatomic information derived from sonography Sometimes useful for proper image interpretation and diagnosis Other times a hindrance Useful image artifacts Posterior enhancement Attenuation Acoustical shadowing Reverberation Posterior acoustic enhancement Increased intensity in echoes from reflectors behind a structure that weakly attenuates sound Classical feature of fluid -usually signifies fluid Other terms, Increased sound transmission “Flashlight” effect Sonographic Terminology This round anechoic liver cyst causes posterior enhancement of sound, manifested by increased echogenicity emanating from the entire posterior border of the cyst. The “veil” of increased echogenicity makes the underlying liver parenchyma look brighter than normal. False posterior acoustic enhancement The increased echogenicity (arrow) behind this myoma (M) is not due to posterior enhancement, but rather to reverberations from bowel or bone posterior to the mass. The increased echogenicity does not come from the entire back border of the mass and may extend beyond its border. The echogenicity is not uniform and fades with depth. M ATTENUATION Decrease in amplitude and intensity of sound waves passing through a medium Weakening of echoes (both penetrating and returning) Due to absorption, scattering, and beam divergence Caused by a solid mass This pelvic mass