[Sonography : a future imaging modality for the general practitioner ?]

Introduced at the end of the '50s, ultrasound has widely developed and spread since then. Not limited to morphological information, sonography more and more includes elements of functional imaging. The new technological developments of ultrasound, and the main fields of application of sonography are reviewed, as well as the management of the so-called ultrasound incidentaloma. The triangular relationship between the patient, the ultrasound machine, and the operator are reviewed, with a special attention to those parameters affecting the final results of an ultrasound examination. The new applications of ultrasound imaging such as the POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) or the FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma) are also discussed, as well as the potential role of the general practitioner in performing ultrasound examinations personally.