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breast ultrasound
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Ultrasound of the mammary glands is one of the promising methods of diagnostics of mammary gland pathology today. Attempts to diagnose various pathological conditions of the mammary glands were made as early as 1952. Then Wild and Reid, using one-dimensional echography (A-mode), established reliable differences between normal and altered tissues of the mammary glands. The data obtained from one-dimensional echography were uninformative and were little used in clinical practice. Improvement of ultrasound equipment, the appearance of devices operating in real time, 3.5-4 MHz sensors with water "nozzles" - made it possible to improve the image and more fully identify structural changes in the mammary glands.
Women's health requires attention, so it is necessary to know where to do an ultrasound of the mammary glands and how often to perform this procedure. Ultrasound scanning is a non-invasive research method and helps doctors diagnose diseases and choose a treatment method. During the diagnosis, the doctor evaluates the blood flow of the mammary gland, determines the structure of the organ and identifies various seals or neoplasms.
The ultrasound scan lasts about 20-30 minutes, the procedure is quick and painless. The patient lies on a couch, gel is applied to the chest and the sensor is pressed tightly to the body. The sensor is inserted over the area being examined, which allows for clear images to be obtained. If the ultrasound scan affects a painful area, the pressure of the sensor causes painful sensations.
The main goal of ultrasound diagnostics of mammary glands is to identify pathological changes that are confirmed by MRI and mammogram. With the help of ultrasound, it is possible to evaluate the structure of the detected lesion: dense, liquid, cystic-fibrous or mixed. As a rule, this diagnostics is carried out for women with a predisposition to cancer, pregnant women and other patients who are prohibited from X-ray radiation, i.e. mammography.