Instrumentation, principles, and pitfalls of ultrasonography

Diagnostic ultrasonography has had a major impact on clinical diagnosis in veterinary medicine. Improved instrumentation (increased resolution and reliability) and ease of operation resulted in acceptance of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in private practice. As with any new imaging modality, sources of error exist. Operator inexperience and "overdiagnosis" of the image are major sources of error in the early stages of ultrasound training. The ultrasound examination of the animal should always be evaluated in conjunction with the history, physical examination, and other laboratory findings. Errors in interpretation most often occur when the ultrasound image is evaluated without respect to this complete data base. It must be stressed that ultrasonography does not replace, but is a valuable adjunct to, plain-film radiography.