Ultrasound

Ultrasound of the abdomen is useful in investigating the cause of abdominal pain, swelling, and persistent fever. For most ultrasounds, the person having the procedure lies on an exam table. The person doing the test spreads a warm gel on the skin and then holds a transducer (a hand-held device that sends and receives ultrasound signals) against the body and moves it back and forth over the area investigated. Some ultrasounds may require fasting ahead of time.

Abdominal ultrasound can be used to evaluate the abdominal aorta and other abdominal blood vessels, gallbladder, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and spleen. It can often detect the source of abdominal pain, an enlarged abdominal organ, gallbladder or kidney stones, an inflamed appendix, and an aortic aneurysm.