What is a pelvic ultrasound?
A painless medical procedure called pelvic ultrasound imaging aids in diagnosing and treating some medical disorders. It is easy and reliable. It uses sound waves to generate images of the interior of the body.
Another name for pelvic ultrasound is pelvic sonography. A pelvic ultrasound is performed to capture the photos of the organs inside your pelvis (the region between the abdomen and legs). A doctor might use this technique to identify issues like tumours.
Pelvic ultrasound can be performed either externally or internally. The three types of pelvic ultrasound scans are abdominal, vaginal, and rectal ultrasounds. The urinary and reproductive organs are evaluated with the pelvic ultrasound technique. It is non-intrusive, risk-free, and radiation-free.
Little or no preparation is needed before this process. Your bladder may need to be filled with water before the examination so the doctor can get clear images of the interior of the pelvis. A pelvic ultrasound scan may include a Doppler ultrasound scan, a unique ultrasound technology used to assess how particles move throughout the body. It enables the physician to observe and assess the arteries and veins’ blood circulation.
Types of pelvic ultrasound
There are various pelvic sonography techniques. Each of these methods focuses on certain organs or is used to perform a specific task:
Transvaginal: The female reproductive system is examined by doctors using a transvaginal ultrasound, which is a type of pelvic ultrasound. Ovaries, fallopian tubes, the uterus, the cervix, and the vagina are all examined using pelvic ultrasound. It keeps track of the growth of a foetus inside the womb. Your doctor will apply a lubricating gel on the transducer before inserting it through your vagina during a transvaginal ultrasound. To obtain detailed images of your reproductive organs, your healthcare provider carefully rotates the transducer at various positions.
Transrectal: An abnormality in the rectum or any surrounding organs, such as the prostate, is examined using transrectal ultrasound. You lie on your side while having a rectal ultrasound. Your doctor examines the interior of your rectum by inserting a lubricated transducer in the rectum
Transabdominal: This is a method used to check for abnormalities in the abdominal organs. Warm gel is applied to the lower portion of your abdomen by a healthcare professional. The gel makes it easy for the transducer to move over your skin’s surface and produce highly detailed pictures. The transducer is moved over various parts of your abdomen by your healthcare professional to obtain images of different abdominal organs.
Uses of pelvic ultrasound
If you have any of the following symptoms, a doctor might advise a pelvic ultrasound for you:
- Trouble getting pregnant
- Discomfort when having sex
- Discomfort while urinating
- Abdominal or pelvic discomfort
- Inflammation in the abdomen
- Haemorrhage or irregular periods following menopause
- Urinary incontinence (urinary leakage)
Several conditions can be diagnosed with the use of pelvic ultrasound.
For all genders:
- Cancer of the prostate
- Hernias
Kidney stones that have reached or are now reaching your bladder
In females:
- Ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that takes place outside of the uterus)
- Gynaecologic tumours
- Ovarian torsion
- Ovarian cysts
- Pelvic inflammatory illness
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Uterine fibroids
- Endometriosis (other areas of your belly and pelvic region contain tissue that resembles the uterine lining)
In males:
- Seminal vesicle tumours (glands that aid in the production of semen)
- Prostate cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Infection of the scrotum or testicles
- Penile or scrotal damage
Other uses of pelvic ultrasound
An ultrasound of the pelvis may be used by a medical professional for conducting a biopsy. By using a biopsy, a tiny piece of tissue from within your body can be obtained. The pelvic ultrasound might aid in directing the needle to the proper spot. Checking the placement of an intrauterine device (a pregnancy-preventing device placed within the uterus)Â is an additional application of pelvic ultrasound.
Preparations required for a pelvic ultrasound
Before having an abdominal pelvic ultrasound, your doctor may advise you to hydrate properly. The sound waves from the transducer move more easily when the bladder is full than when it’s empty, which improves the clarity of the image. This is typically not necessary for a rectal or transvaginal examination. Before every pelvic scan, your doctor must give you instructions. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions that you might have.
Benefits of pelvic ultrasound
- The majority of pelvis ultrasound scans don’t require needles or injections.
- In comparison with many other imaging techniques, ultrasound is widely accessible, simple to use, and reasonably priced.
- Pelvis ultrasound examination is completely radiation-free and incredibly safe.
- The soft tissues of the pelvis that are difficult to see on X-ray pictures can be seen using pelvic sonography.
- High-quality pictures are generated during the pelvic ultrasound.
- It only takes 15 to 30 minutes to perform a pelvic ultrasound.
Limitations of Pelvic ultrasound
Air interferes with ultrasound waves. Therefore, pelvic ultrasound isn’t the best imaging method for the air-filled gut or organs. Although imaging air-filled lungs by using ultrasound is less effective, it can still be used to examine fluid surrounding or inside the lungs. Similar to X-rays, pelvic sonography cannot be used to examine the bones but can be employed to examine fractures or infections around a bone. A large volume of tissues makes it challenging to obtain an ultrasound picture of an obese person because the sound waves become weaker as they travel deeper inside the body.
