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Pelvic ultrasound
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A pelvic ultrasound is a study that uses sound waves to look inside the pelvis: the uterus, the ovaries and the neighboring structures. It has two advantages worth noting: it is noninvasive, meaning no incision is needed, and it does not use ionizing radiation, the kind that X-rays use.
It can be done two ways. In the transabdominal approach, the transducer, which is the device that sends and receives the sound, rests on the skin of the belly. And that is where the detail almost everyone asks about comes in: sound passes through fluid unobstructed, so a full bladder works as a window of water through which the sound travels cleanly to the organs behind it.
The other route is transvaginal. The transducer, covered with a condom, is placed inside the vagina. From there it produces high-resolution images of the uterus, its contents, the ovaries and the adnexa, which are the structures that lie to either side of the uterus.
In brief
A pelvic ultrasound is a noninvasive study that shows the uterus, the ovaries and the other structures of the pelvis without ionizing radiation.
It can be done transabdominally, using the fluid in the bladder to carry sound through the pelvis, or transvaginally.
Sound travels through water unobstructed, and a full bladder is that window of water.
In the transvaginal approach, the transducer is placed inside the vagina and gives high-resolution images of the uterus, the ovaries and the adnexa.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPelvic Ultrasound, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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