Breast Ultrasound

Breast ultrasound is a safe, painless imaging test that uses sound waves to look at the inside of your breasts.

Why might I need a breast ultrasound?

Breast Ultrasound is advised

• To evaluate any breast lump detected on self-breast palpation or mammography to look whether the breast lump is a fluid-filled breast cyst (usually not cancerous) or a solid mass which can be non cancerous or cancerous and may require further testing.
• In case of pain in the breast to see any pathology.
• In case of any nipple discharge which can be serous, greenish or bloody.
• For screening of breast cancer.
• Investigating a focal area in the breast that appeared abnormal on a mammogram.
• Any axillary lump.
• Any skin changes over the breast.
• A breast ultrasound may also be used to check for leaks or other problems with breast implants.

Conditions which can cause benign lumps in the breast:

• Fibrocystic breast disease, in which hormonal changes cause the breasts to become lumpy and tender
• Fibroadenoma, which is a benign tumor of the breast tissue
• Intraductal papilloma, which is a benign tumor of the milk duct
• Breast fat necrosis, which is a lump of damaged or dead fat tissue in the breast

What are the risks of a breast ultrasound?

Ultrasound is safe and non-invasive test. A breast ultrasound has no risk from radiation. Ultrasound is safe to have during pregnancy because it does not use radiation. It is also safe for people who are allergic to contrast dye because it does not use dye.

How do I get ready for a breast ultrasound?

• There is no food restriction before the scan. You can have your medicines also beforehand.
• Do not use any powder, or other substances on your breasts on the day of the test.
• Avoid wearing jewellery to your appointment or make sure that you can easily be removed, it if asked.
• Wear clothing that you can easily take off. The gel put on your skin during the test does not stain clothing and can be easily wiped off.

What happens during a breast ultrasound?

• A sonographer or doctor will conduct your breast ultrasound. A sonographer is a healthcare professional with ultrasound training.
• First, the sonographer or doctor will ask you to undress from the waist up and lie on your back on an ultrasound table. You will be asked to raise your arm above your head on the side of the breast to be looked at.
• Doctor will apply a clear gel to your breast. This conductive gel helps the ultrasound waves travel through your skin.
• Once the test is done, the gel will be wiped off.
• The procedure usually takes 10-20 minutes.

The transducer sends out sound waves that bounce off your breast tissue. The sound waves are too high-pitched for you to hear. The transducer then picks up the bounced sound waves. These are made into pictures of the inside of your breasts. This creates a real-time recording of the inside of your breast. The recording is displayed on a computer monitor.

What are the Benefits of Breast Ultrasound Scan

• Ultrasound scanning is non-invasive without any use of sharp needles or injections.
• Ultrasound is widely available, easy to use, and cost-effective tool than most other imaging methods.
• Ultrasound is painless. Occasionally, it may be temporarily uncomfortable but not painful.
• Ultrasound imaging is extremely safe and does not use radiation.
• Ultrasound provides real-time imaging. USG is a good tool for guiding minimally invasive procedures such as needle biopsies and fluid aspiration.
• Ultrasound can help differentiate many areas of clinical concern are due to normal tissue (such as fat lobules) or benign cysts.
• For most women 40 years of age and older, a mammogram will be used together with ultrasound. For women under age 40, ultrasound alone is often enough to determine whether an area of concern needs a biopsy or not.
• Ultrasound can help detect and classify a breast lesion that cannot be interpreted adequately through mammography alone.
• Ultrasound can help early detection of the breast cancerous lesions.
• Ultrasound helps in better detection of the ductal lesions .

What happens after a breast ultrasound?

You do not need any special care after a breast ultrasound.

When to expect your results

Breast ultrasound results will be available after sometime.