Ultrasound without radiation: what the test shows and what it does not

An ultrasound examination works with sound waves that are sent out by a probe and reflected differently by different tissues. There is no radiation, so it can be repeated as often as needed and is also done in children and during pregnancy. Most examinations need no preparation; gel is applied to the skin and the probe is moved over the surface during the examination.

Ultrasound shows best what contains fluid or dense tissue: the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, spleen, thyroid, lymph nodes, muscles, tendons and ligaments. It also shows blood flow through vessels and fluid in or around a joint. Its advantage over other tests is that it happens live: you can move a joint or tendon during the examination and the doctor sees what happens.

What it does not show is just as important. Sound does not pass through air or bone, so ultrasound shows the lungs, the inside of bones and gas-filled bowel poorly. Deeper structures are harder to see in people with a larger build. If a fracture is suspected, the first step is therefore an X-ray, and for intervertebral discs and the spinal cord an MRI. The doctor chooses the test according to the question that needs answering.

Ultrasound also depends more than other tests on what is being looked for. A targeted examination tells much more than a general one without a question, so bring the report or recommendation of the doctor who sent you for the test.

Four ultrasound examinations are available at Medicinski center Ljubljana. Abdominal ultrasound covers the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and bladder. Neck ultrasound shows the soft tissues of the neck: lymph nodes, salivary glands, cysts and other lumps you can feel. Ultrasound of the neck arteries, also known as carotid Doppler, shows the walls of the neck arteries and the blood flow through them. Ultrasound of soft tissues and small joints is for tendons, muscles, ligaments and changes under the skin, most often at the wrist, fingers, elbow, ankle and foot.

The preparation differs between them. You come to an abdominal ultrasound fasting, because gas and food in the digestive tract blur the image; you will be told when you book how long before the test you must not eat and whether you need a full bladder. Neck ultrasound, neck artery ultrasound and soft tissue and small joint ultrasound need no special preparation.

Ultrasound examinations here are self-pay, so you do not need a referral. Booking is managed by the provider that runs the clinic, via the link on the page of each examination. The doctor explains the main findings during the examination, and you receive the written report in the way agreed when you book. Take the report to the doctor who referred you for the test, as they will fit it into the overall picture of your symptoms.