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What are the limitations of ultrasound imaging?

April 26, 2017imaging limitations Ultrasound

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What are the limitations of ultrasound imaging?

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Ultrasound waves have difficulty penetrating bone and air so organs such as the lungs cannot be scanned. The stomach and bowel are best examined in other ways such as x-rays or by having cameras inserted into them.

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Ultrasound has difficulty penetrating bone and therefore can only see the outer surface of bony structures and not what lies within. For visualization of bone, other imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be selected. Because ultrasound waves do not pass through air, an evaluation of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine may be limited. Intestinal gas may also prevent visualization of deeper structures such as the pancreas and aorta. Obese patients are also more difficult to image because tissue attenuates (weakens) the sound waves as they pass deeper into the body.