Abdominal Scanning
Color Atlas of Ultrasound Anatomy
Standard Sectional Planes for Abdominal Scanning
Ultrasound scanning yields a series of sectional images. The basis for interpreting
the examination is the individual sectional image. At first
sight, it is easy to be confused by the variable appearance of an ultrasound
scan of the same region in different patients. This has numerous
causes, including differences in density, body fat, age-related differences,
overlying gas, and artifacts. In most cases the apparent discrepancies
are not based on true anatomical differences. When a systematic
scanning routine is closely followed, series of sectional images can be
obtained in every patient with remarkable consistency. Even if the
images themselves vary, the anatomical relationships that are demonstrated
remain constant.