What Can an Upper Abdomen 2D Ultrasound Scan Detect?

Color Doppler ultrasound is commonly used during disease screenings. This technology can detect pathological changes in organs within the body, especially during abdominal scans, which can reveal issues with the kidneys, uterus, or the urinary system. Upper abdominal scans can also assess organs such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and fetal development in the womb. However, it is advisable to undergo these scans at reputable hospitals.

When it comes to vascular diseases, the use of a 12MHz high-frequency probe can detect calcification points smaller than 1mm within the blood vessels. This is particularly valuable for diagnosing carotid atherosclerotic occlusive disease. It can also assess the degree of luminal narrowing, the possibility of embolus detachment, and the presence of ulcers, thus helping prevent cerebral embolisms.

Color Doppler ultrasound is considered the best diagnostic method for various arteriovenous fistulas, as the presence of a colorful, mosaic-like circular color pattern can confirm the diagnosis. It also provides accurate diagnoses for carotid body tumors, abdominal aortic aneurysms, vascular occlusive angiopathy, and chronic lower extremity venous diseases (including varicose veins, primary dysfunction of deep venous valves, deep venous reflux, thrombophlebitis, and venous thrombosis) through its high clarity, local magnification, and blood flow spectrum probing.

Abdominal organs are primarily evaluated using color Doppler ultrasound for the liver and kidneys. However, it also has auxiliary diagnostic value in differentiating benign and malignant lesions within the abdomen, distinguishing gallbladder cancer from large polyps and severe chronic inflammation, and distinguishing between the common bile duct and hepatic artery.

For liver cirrhosis, color Doppler ultrasound can provide a good assessment of the size of various blood vessels, blood flow velocity, direction, and the establishment of collateral circulation. It can also aid in the differential diagnosis of nodular sclerosis and diffuse liver cancer that may be difficult to distinguish using black-and-white ultrasound through high-frequency probing and blood flow spectrum probing.

Color Doppler ultrasound is also valuable in distinguishing benign and malignant occupying lesions in the liver, cysts, and various arteriovenous aneurysms. It can also help distinguish primary liver cancer from secondary liver cancer based on internal blood supply patterns.

In renal applications, color Doppler ultrasound is primarily used for the detection of renal vascular lesions, such as renal arteriovenous fistulas, which may manifest as intermittent, painless hematuria with unknown etiology. It is also effective in diagnosing renal artery stenosis, a common cause of secondary hypertension. When the blood flow velocity at the stenotic site exceeds 150cm/s, the diagnostic accuracy reaches 98.6%, with a sensitivity of 100%. Additionally, it can aid in the differential diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma, renal pelvis transitional carcinoma, and benign tumors.

For the prostate and seminal vesicles, color Doppler ultrasound divides the prostate into the transition zone, central zone, and peripheral zone, as well as the prostatic fibromuscular stroma. The transition zone, which includes the lateral and abdominal parts of the urethral sphincter, is the origin of 100% of benign prostatic hyperplasia, while it only accounts for 5% of the prostate's size in healthy individuals. The central zone surrounds the ejaculatory ducts and the apical wall, pointing towards the seminal colliculus. The peripheral zone, including the posterior part and lateral apices of the prostate, is the origin of 70-80% of cancers. The thin or absent apical capsule forms an anatomically weak area, commonly used as a route for cancer metastasis, and is a critical region for prostate biopsies.

Transrectal ultrasonography provides valuable diagnostic information for various prostatic and seminal vesicle diseases. When combined with prostate biopsies, it can often lead to a definitive diagnosis.