Ultrasound

Ultrasound is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis and management of many urological disorders. It has the advantages of not involving ionizing radiation, allowing rapid real time imaging and being relatively inexpensive. It can also be performed at the patient’s bedside if necessary. There are limitations, however, and it is best used as an adjunct to clinical assessment, often alongside other complementary imaging modalities. While many ultrasound studies are undertaken by urological surgeons, it is often performed by imaging specialists; close liaison between these two groups is essential. A brief, clinically relevant, introduction to ultrasound physics is included and the use of Doppler techniques and ultrasound contrast agents will be discussed. It is not possible to cover all the urological conditions for which ultrasound is used in one chapter, so some recommended texts are included in the reading list for further study.