Ultrasound Examination Methods for Abdominal Area

Currently, technology has developed considerably. Getting an ultrasound done when our bodies become sick is no longer a novelty. However, many friends who have undergone ultrasound have a common question: what is the difference between black and white ultrasound and color ultrasound, and the cost is definitely not a trivial matter. How significant is the difference between the two, and is color ultrasound necessary for an ultrasound examination?

Abdominal black and white ultrasound probe: First choice for abdominal examination

Generally speaking, the structure of black and white abdominal probes is relatively simple, usually equipped with only 1-2 probes, and can only be used to examine abdominal organs such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, uterus and appendages. For some diseases that do not require accurate diagnosis, such as general pleural effusion, ascites and gallstones, bladder stones, kidney stones, prostatitis, liver cysts, uterine fibroids, and so on, black and white ultrasound can be used. In early pregnancy and miscarriage, black and white ultrasound is usually sufficient. However, for some patients, after undergoing black and white ultrasound, the diagnosis still cannot be clear. At this time, color ultrasound examination can be performed as needed.

Color abdominal probe: Non-invasive vascular imaging

The structure of the color abdominal ultrasound probe is complex, often equipped with 3-4 probes, and its range of inspection far exceeds that of the abdomen, including cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, myocardial disease, arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, etc. The examination of superficial tissue organs such as the thyroid, breast, salivary gland, and testis all require color ultrasound, especially for the diagnosis of some malignant tumors. For some abdominal examinations, such as tumors, obstructive jaundice, liver cirrhosis, ectopic pregnancy, vascular disease, doctors will also suggest using color ultrasound, and even through imaging in order to diagnose the disease more accurately. Those who need to understand the subtle structures of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes and prostate, should undergo transvaginal or transrectal color ultrasound. If umbilical cord blood flow status is needed or if it is necessary to determine whether there is a situation of umbilical cord around the neck in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, color ultrasound should be selected.

Compared with a single black and white abdominal probe, color ultrasound has more functions, better image resolution, more ways to diagnose diseases, and its diagnosis of diseases is also more clear, so it is also called "non-invasive vascular imaging."

The images produced by the color abdominal probe are all in color, just like color TV. When performing color ultrasound, only a two-dimensional black and white image is seen on the monitor. In fact, color ultrasound is also called "color Doppler flow imaging," and the "color" in color ultrasound is not the same as the "color" in color photos. Color Ultrasound images are not necessarily in color.

Using the different echo reflections of blood flow, the machine "assigns" color to the blood flow, and the blood flow that flows toward the abdominal probe is red on the display screen, while the blood flow that flows away from the probe is blue. If blood flow is not examined, there is no essential difference between the two-dimensional sections of color ultrasound and black and white ultrasound, and the areas without obvious blood flow on color ultrasound are still black and white images.