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Hello! I’m Dr. Elissa Price, a radiologist at the University of California San Francisco Breast Care Center. I’d like to talk with you about ultrasound imaging of the breast also known as breast ultrasound.
Breast ultrasound is a safe, noninvasive test that uses sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of your breast. It’s primarily used to help diagnose breast lumps or other abnormalities your doctor may have found during a physical exam, mammogram or breast MRI.
Ultrasound can also help detect breast cancers that may not be visible with mammography.
If you’re scheduled for a breast ultrasound, there are several things you can do to prepare.
First, leave any jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You will be asked to undress from the waist up and to wear a gown during the procedure. You will lie on your back on the examining table and may be asked to raise your arm above your head.
The sonographer – a specialist in using ultrasound – will place warmed gel on your skin and then pass a transducer over the surface of your breast to see inside.
Breast ultrasound is noninvasive and does not involve needles or injections. While it may be temporarily uncomfortable, an ultrasound exam is almost never painful.
Ultrasound does not use radiation. It provides a picture of soft tissues that may not show up well on x-ray images. And, ultrasound has no known harmful effects.
For more information about this and other breast screening options, visit Radiology Info dot org.
Thank you for your time!
