<s>
Abdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasonography	I-Algorithm
(	O
also	O
called	O
abdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasound	I-Algorithm
imaging	O
or	O
abdominal	O
sonography	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
medical	B-Application
ultrasonography	I-Application
(	O
medical	O
application	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
technology	O
)	O
to	O
visualise	O
abdominal	O
anatomical	O
structures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
uses	O
transmission	O
and	O
reflection	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
to	O
visualise	O
internal	O
organs	O
through	O
the	O
abdominal	O
wall	O
(	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
gel	O
,	O
which	O
helps	O
transmission	O
of	O
the	O
sound	O
waves	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
this	O
reason	O
,	O
the	O
procedure	O
is	O
also	O
called	O
a	O
transabdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasound	I-Algorithm
,	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
endoscopic	B-Algorithm
ultrasound	I-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
latter	O
combining	O
ultrasound	B-Application
with	O
endoscopy	B-Application
through	O
visualize	O
internal	O
structures	O
from	O
within	O
hollow	O
organs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasound	I-Algorithm
examinations	O
are	O
performed	O
by	O
gastroenterologists	O
or	O
other	O
specialists	O
in	O
internal	O
medicine	O
,	O
radiologists	O
,	O
or	O
sonographers	O
trained	O
for	O
this	O
procedure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasound	I-Algorithm
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
diagnose	O
abnormalities	O
in	O
various	O
internal	O
organs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
kidneys	O
,	O
liver	O
,	O
gallbladder	O
,	O
pancreas	O
,	O
spleen	O
and	O
abdominal	O
aorta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
Doppler	B-Algorithm
ultrasonography	I-Algorithm
is	O
added	O
,	O
the	O
blood	O
flow	O
inside	O
blood	O
vessels	O
can	O
be	O
evaluated	O
as	O
well	O
(	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
to	O
look	O
for	O
renal	O
artery	O
stenosis	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Abdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasound	I-Algorithm
is	O
commonly	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
setting	O
of	O
abdominal	O
pain	O
or	O
an	O
acute	O
abdomen	O
(	O
sudden	O
and/or	O
severe	O
abdominal	O
pain	O
syndrome	O
in	O
which	O
surgical	O
intervention	O
might	O
be	O
necessary	O
)	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
it	O
can	O
diagnose	O
appendicitis	O
or	O
cholecystitis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Application
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
if	O
there	O
is	O
suspicion	O
of	O
enlargement	O
of	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
organs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
used	O
in	O
screening	O
for	O
abdominal	O
aortic	O
aneurysm	O
,	O
investigation	O
for	O
splenomegaly	O
or	O
urinary	O
retention	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Application
can	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
additional	O
anatomical	O
information	O
for	O
patients	O
with	O
an	O
abnormal	O
kidney	O
function	O
or	O
pancreatic	O
enzymes	O
(	O
pancreatic	O
amylase	O
and	O
pancreatic	O
lipase	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
cases	O
of	O
infectious	O
mononucleosis	O
,	O
splenomegaly	O
is	O
a	O
common	O
symptom	O
,	O
and	O
health	O
care	O
providers	O
may	O
consider	O
using	O
abdominal	B-Algorithm
ultrasonography	I-Algorithm
to	O
get	O
insight	O
into	O
a	O
person	O
's	O
condition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Application
imaging	I-Application
is	O
useful	O
for	O
detecting	O
stones	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
kidney	O
stones	O
or	O
gallstones	O
,	O
because	O
they	O
create	O
a	O
clearly	O
visible	O
ultrasound	B-Application
shadow	O
behind	O
the	O
stone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
patients	O
with	O
deranged	O
liver	O
function	O
tests	O
,	O
ultrasound	B-Application
may	O
show	O
increased	O
liver	O
size	O
(	O
hepatomegaly	O
)	O
,	O
increased	O
reflectiveness	O
(	O
which	O
might	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
indicate	O
cholestasis	O
)	O
,	O
gallbladder	O
or	O
bile	O
duct	O
diseases	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
tumor	O
in	O
the	O
liver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tumor	O
characterization	O
using	O
the	O
ultrasound	B-Application
method	O
will	O
be	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
following	O
elements	O
:	O
consistency	O
(	O
solid	O
,	O
liquid	O
,	O
mixed	O
)	O
,	O
echogenicity	O
,	O
structure	O
appearance	O
(	O
homogeneous	O
or	O
heterogeneous	O
)	O
,	O
delineation	O
from	O
adjacent	O
liver	O
parenchyma	O
(	O
capsular	O
,	O
imprecise	O
)	O
,	O
elasticity	O
,	O
posterior	O
acoustic	O
enhancement	O
effect	O
,	O
the	O
relation	O
with	O
neighboring	O
organs	O
or	O
structures	O
(	O
displacement	O
,	O
invasion	O
)	O
,	O
vasculature	O
(	O
presence	O
and	O
characteristics	O
on	O
Doppler	B-Algorithm
ultrasonography	I-Algorithm
and	O
contrast-enhanced	O
ultrasound	B-Application
(	O
CEUS	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
kidneys	O
are	O
easily	O
examined	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
pathological	O
changes	O
in	O
the	O
kidneys	O
are	O
distinguishable	O
with	O
ultrasound	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Advantages	O
of	O
ultrasound	B-Application
imaging	I-Application
of	O
abdominal	O
structures	O
are	O
that	O
the	O
procedure	O
can	O
be	O
performed	O
quickly	O
,	O
bed-side	O
,	O
involves	O
no	O
exposure	O
to	O
X-rays	B-Library
(	O
which	O
makes	O
it	O
useful	O
in	O
pregnant	O
patients	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
and	O
is	O
inexpensive	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
often-used	O
techniques	O
such	O
as	O
computed	O
tomography	O
(	O
CT	O
scan	O
)	O
of	O
the	O
abdomen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
by	O
pressing	O
the	O
ultrasound	B-Application
probe	O
against	O
the	O
gallbladder	O
,	O
a	O
radiological	O
Murphy	O
's	O
sign	O
can	O
be	O
elicited	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
water	O
is	O
an	O
excellent	O
conductor	O
for	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
,	O
visualizing	O
these	O
structures	O
often	O
requires	O
a	O
well-filled	O
urinary	O
bladder	O
(	O
this	O
means	O
the	O
patients	O
has	O
to	O
drink	O
plenty	O
of	O
water	O
before	O
the	O
examination	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Then	O
,	O
the	O
ultrasound	B-Application
probe	O
is	O
rotated	O
90	O
degrees	O
to	O
access	O
the	O
liver	O
in	O
axial	O
plane	O
from	O
the	O
dome	O
of	O
the	O
diaphragm	O
until	O
the	O
lower	O
segment	O
of	O
the	O
liver	O
.	O
</s>
