Ultrasound abdomen — full survey
Liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, aorta, bladder
When to use it
- Right upper quadrant pain, deranged liver function, suspected gallstones.
- Renal impairment, suspected hydronephrosis.
- First-line abdominal imaging in pregnancy and in children.
Technique
- Fasting improves gallbladder distension and reduces bowel gas.
Where it goes wrong
- Operator- and habitus-dependent: a technically limited study is a real result and should prompt cross-sectional imaging rather than repetition.
- The pancreatic tail and retroperitoneum are frequently obscured by bowel gas.
Clinical questions that reach this study
Suspected intra-abdominal abscess or collectionMajor trauma — whole-body (pan-scan) versus selective CTSuspected acute diverticulitisAcute pancreatitis — severity and complication assessmentSuspected acute cholecystitisObstructive jaundice and suspected biliary obstructionSuspected hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosisCharacterisation of an incidental liver lesion (non-cirrhotic liver)Suspected pancreatic mass or painless obstructive jaundiceAortic aneurysm surveillance and post-repair follow-up
Contrast
None
Acquisition
- Preparation
- Fasting 4-6 h improves gallbladder distension and reduces bowel gas.