The use of ultrasound in geriatric medicine

Ultrasonography is now a well-established diagnostic technique and the initial screening procedure of choice in a variety of clinical situations. Its non-invasive nature makes it particularly suitable for the investigation of elderly patients. The uses of the technique are reviewed and the results of scanning 96 elderly patients over a period of 21/2 years are described. One hundred and fifteen scans performed of which only 12 were unsatisfactory for technical reasons. Eighty-two of the remaining scans provided useful information in confirming or refuting a suspected diagnosis and the information obtained often obviated the need for invasive investigations.