Interpretation of ultrasound

This content is designed to acquaint the clinician with some of the more common ultrasonographic manifestations of clinical conditions that the otolaryngologist is likely to encounter in a general practice. The clinician requires a thorough knowledge of head and neck anatomy to best interpret the variations from normal structures demonstrated on ultrasound. A knowledge of sonographic artifacts may assist the examiner in properly identifying the process under review. Ultrasonography may be the best imaging study for certain organs. In many instances it is the first clinical study that directs further imaging. By providing the clinician with clues as to the underlying pathology, it allows a more efficient direction in determining which aspiration techniques to use.