For preventive purposes, every woman aged 18 years or more should undergo an annual breast examination. This raises the question, which is better: ultrasound of the mammary glands or mammography. Doctors recommend that women under the age of 35 years carry ultrasound of the breast, and visit a mammologist. A mammogram is prescribed for patients older than 35 years, and ultrasound is also performed with indications.
For young women, ultrasound examination of the mammary glands is a more accurate method of research than mammography. Ultrasound also allows you to study in more detail all areas of the breast, including those that are located in the chest wall and are hidden for X-rays.
Ultrasound of the breast - preparation
Ultrasound of the breast is both a separate method of research, and is part of a complex of tests to identify any abnormalities in the mammary gland.
Ultrasound examination does not require any preliminary preparation. The only condition, it must be done from the 5th to the 12th day of the menstrual cycle. Women, who for various reasons do not have menstruation, the day of ultrasound, does not matter.
Breast ultrasound in pregnancy
During pregnancy and lactation, a woman is not immune from various diseases, including from diseases associated with the mammary glands. Therefore, do not neglect examinations of the breast, and with the slightest deviation seek medical help. During pregnancy, a woman is contraindicated in some studies, for example, those that are associated with irradiation. In this ultrasound is a safe method of examining the mammary glands for various pathologies, both in a pregnant woman and in a nursing mother.
What does the ultrasound of the breast?
Ultrasound is not the final diagnosis, thanks to this study, you can find a number of diseases of the mammary glands, such as:
- mastopathy ;
- mastitis;
- abscess;
- cysts of mammary glands;
- malignant tumors, and others.
Ultrasound can detect the disease in time and avoid complications.
In most cases, additional tests and tests, including mammography and biopsy, are prescribed for a more accurate diagnosis.
Ultrasound of mammary glands with CDC makes it possible to study vessels and vascular formations in the chest. As a rule, ultrasound with CDC is prescribed in addition to mammography, if there have been detected mammary gland formation, as well as other indications.
Breast cancer on ultrasound
To detect breast cancer, ultrasound is very important. On ultrasound it is possible to distinguish between cyst formation from a malignant tumor, and also to establish the location and dimensions of the tumor. In addition, ultrasound can diagnose cancer in the early stages, when the tumor is not yet palpable. Thanks to ultrasound, biopsy is much easier, because the formation is visible in real time, and, consequently,
How is breast ultrasound done?
Ultrasound of the mammary glands is very similar to ultrasound, which is carried out on the organs of the abdominal cavity. To do this, use a special transparent gel and an ultrasound device. By the time of ultrasound takes from 15 to 30 minutes, including the processing of data by a specialist.
According to the doctor, ultrasound of the breast is carried out not only by women, but also by children and men. A timely examination will save your health, and in some cases, even life.