To schedule an appointment with the Alton Memorial Hospital Imaging Center, please call 618.463.7647 or email us.
Ultrasound imaging -- ultrasound scanning or sonography -- is a noninvasive medical test that exposes part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation (X-rays). Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, and blood flowing through blood vessels.
A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of an ultrasound examination to evaluate blood velocity as it flows through a blood vessel, including the body's major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck. With these results, physicians can determine if a patient is a good candidate for angioplasty.
Ultrasound helps physicians evaluate these symptoms:
Ultrasound helps examine internal organs including:
- Heart and blood vessels, including the abdominal aorta and its major branches
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Spleen
- Pancreas
- Kidneys
- Bladder
- Uterus, ovaries and unborn children
- Eyes
- Thyroid and parathyroid glands
- Scrotum (testicles)
Ultrasound helps:
- Guide procedures such as needle biopsies, in which needles extract sample cells from an abnormal area for laboratory testing
- Image the breasts and guide biopsies for breast cancer testing
Doppler ultrasound images help physicians see and evaluate:
- Blockages to blood flow (clots)
- Narrowing of vessels (primarily caused by plaque)
- Tumors and congenital malformation
Additional information
To schedule an appointment with the Alton Memorial Hospital Imaging Center, please call 618.463.7647 or email us.