Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Ecografía abdominal
Abdominal ultrasound (ab-DAH-mih-nul UL-truh-SOWND)
A procedure used to examine the organs in the abdomen. An ultrasound transducer (probe) is pressed firmly against the skin of the abdomen. High-energy sound waves from the transducer bounce off tissues and create echoes. The echoes are sent to a computer, which makes a picture called a sonogram. Also called transabdominal ultrasound.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.