Breast Ultrasound: Why It Is Done
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Why It Is Done
Breast ultrasound is done to:
- Find the cause of breast symptoms, such as pain, swelling, and redness.
- Check a breast lump found on breast self-examination or physical examination. It is used to see whether a breast lump is fluid-filled (a cyst) or if it is a solid lump. A lump that has no fluid or that has fluid with floating particles may need more tests.
- Check abnormal results from a mammogram.
- Look at the breasts in younger women because their breast tissue is often more dense, and a mammogram may not show as much detail.
- Guide the placement of a needle or other tube to drain a collection of fluid (cyst) or pus (abscess), take a sample of breast tissue (biopsy), or guide breast surgery.
- Watch for changes in the size of a cyst.
- Check your breasts if you have silicone breast implants or dense breasts. In these situations, a mammogram may not be able to see breast lumps.
| Last updated: | April 03, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Bets Davis, MFA |
| Reviewed By: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology |
| Editors: | Maria Essig, Tracy Landauer |
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