[Ultrasonography in urology]

After its introduction more than twenty years ago, ultrasound has continually increased in importance in urology diagnostics and is currently one of the most frequent exploratory techniques used. It corresponds to one out of every four imaging techniques carried out in medicine. The possibility of intervention under echographic control, for either diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, has been studied ever since ultrasound first appeared. Nowadays, interventionist echography is a commonly used technique in urology and is applied in a wide range of procedures carried out on the prostate gland, bladder and kidney that require echography-guided puncture techniques. Timely modifications of ultrasound for control and monitoring of treatments such as shock wave extracorporeal lithotripsy or transperineal brachitherapy has increased even more its day-to-day use by urologists. New technologies currently under development such as high-energy ultrasound in the management of kidney and prostate cancer, 3-dimensional ultrasound, Doppler-energy and contrast ultrasound have also increased the importance of this procedure in urology.