Women's Imaging
Here at Advanced Imaging, every day is breast cancer awareness day. We strive to offer affordable services to every women out there, so that screenings are not put off that can save their lives. We make every effort to educate women by being involved in local health fairs and community events. At our centers we offer Screening Mammography, Diagnostic Mammography, Breast Ultrasound, Breast MRI and Bone Density/DEXA Screenings. Below you will find explanations of each test performed as well as preparation guidelines and what to expect when you come for your exam.
Mammography
What is a mammogram?
A mammogram (also called a mammography exam) is a safe, low-dose x-ray used to examine the breast. A high-quality mammogram is the most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early. Early detection of breast cancer may allow more treatment options. It could even mean saving your breast or your life.
When should I have a mammogram?
Current guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American College of Radiology (ACR) recommend a mammography screening every year for women, beginning at age 40.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends that women who have had breast cancer and those who are at increased risk due to a genetic history of breast cancer should seek expert medical advice about frequency of screening and whether they should begin screening before age 40.
When should I schedule my mammogram?
Before scheduling a mammogram, you should discuss problems with your breasts with your doctor. In addition, inform your doctor of hormone use, any prior surgeries, and your family or personal history of breast cancer. Generally, the best time to schedule your exam is one week following your period. Do not schedule your mammogram for the week before your period if your breasts are usually tender during this time. Always inform your mammography technologist if there is any possibility that you are pregnant.
How should I prepare for my mammogram?
Advanced Imaging follows the ACS guidelines which recommends you:
- Do not wear deodorant, talcum powder or lotion under your arms or on your breasts on the day of the exam. These can appear on the mammogram as calcium spots.
- Describe any breast symptoms or problems to the technologist performing the exam.
- If possible, obtain prior mammograms and make them available to the radiologist at the time of the current exam.
- Ask when your results will be available; do not assume the results are normal if you do not hear from your doctor or the mammography facility.
What should I expect?
A licensed mammography technologist will guide you to the mammography suite and perform the exam. During the exam your breast will be placed on a special platform on the mammography unit and compressed with a compression paddle. Breast compression is necessary in order to:
- Even out the breast thickness so that all of the tissue can be visualized.
- Spread out the tissue so that small abnormalities will not be obscured.
- Allow use of a lower X-ray dose.
- Hold the breast still to eliminate blurring of the image caused by motion.
- Reduce X-ray scatter to increase picture sharpness.
What about after the exam?
You will be given the results of your mammogram in easy-to-understand language. We will mail the results to your home within one week of your exam. A detailed medical report of your findings will also be sent to your doctor's ASAP. If something of concern is found your doctor will be called and notified personally by our technologist.
Pelvic Ultrasound Imaging
What is Pelvic Ultrasound Imaging?
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays). Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
A pelvic ultrasound provides pictures of the structures and organs in the lower abdomen or pelvis.
There are three types of pelvic ultrasound:
- abdominal (transabdominal)
- vaginal (transvaginal, endovaginal) for women
- rectal (transrectal) for men
A Doppler ultrasound exam may be part of a pelvic ultrasound examination.
Doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound technique that evaluates blood velocity as it flows through a blood vessel, including the body's major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck.
What are some common uses of the procedure?
In women, a pelvic or abdominal ultrasound is most often performed to evaluate the:
- bladder
- ovaries
- uterus
- cervix
- fallopian tubes
Pelvic ultrasound exams are also used to monitor the health and development of an embryo or fetus during pregnancy.
Ultrasound examinations can help diagnose symptoms experienced by women such as:
- pelvic pain
- abnormal bleeding
- other menstrual problems
and help identify:
- palpable masses such as ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids
- ovarian or uterine cancers
A transvaginal ultrasound is usually performed to view the endometrium or the lining of the uterus, including its thickness and thickness, and ovaries. Transvaginal ultrasound also affords a good way to evaluate the muscular walls of the uterus, called the myometrium. Sonohysterography allows for a more in-depth investigation of the uterine cavity. These exams are typically performed to detect:
- uterine anomalies
- scars
- endometrial polyps
- fibroids
- cancer, especially in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding
Some physicians also use sonohysterography for patients with infertility.
In men, a pelvic or abdominal ultrasound is used to evaluate the:
- bladder
- seminal vesicles
- prostate
The transrectal ultrasound, a special study usually done to view the prostate gland, involves inserting a specialized transducer to a probe and inserting it into a man's rectum. See the Prostate Ultrasound page for more information.
In men and women, a pelvic ultrasound exam can help identify:
- kidney stones
- tumors
- other disorders in the urinary bladder
Pelvic ultrasound is also used to guide procedures such as needle biopsies, in which needles are used to extract a sample of cells from organs for laboratory testing.
Doppler ultrasound images can help the physician to see and evaluate:
- blockages to blood flow (such as clots)
- narrowing of vessels (which may be caused by plaque)
- tumors and congenital malformation
How should I prepare?
You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for your ultrasound exam. You may need to remove all clothing and jewelry in the area to be examined.
You may be asked to wear a gown during the procedure.
A full bladder helps to visualize the uterus, ovaries, bladder wall and prostate gland for transabdominal ultrasound.
How is the procedure performed?
Transabdominal:
- For most ultrasound exams, the patient is positioned lying face-up on an examination table that can be tilted or moved.A clear water-based gel is applied to the area of the body being studied to help the transducer make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin. The sonographer (ultrasound technologist) or radiologist then presses the transducer firmly against the skin and sweeps it over the area of interest.
Transvaginal:
- Transvaginal ultrasound is performed very much like a gynecologic exam and involves the insertion of the transducer into the vagina after the patient empties her bladder. The tip of the transducer is smaller than the standard speculum used when performing a Pap test. A protective cover is placed over the transducer, lubricated with a small amount of gel, and then inserted into the vagina. Only two to three inches of the transducer end are inserted into the vagina. The images are obtained from different orientations to get the best views of the uterus and ovaries. Transvaginal ultrasound is usually performed with the patient lying on her back, possibly with her feet in stirrups similar to a gynecologic exam.
Transrectal:
- For a transrectal ultrasound, a protective cover is placed over the transducer, it is lubricated, and then placed into the rectum. The patient usually lies on his or her side, facing away from the examiner, with the knees and hips slightly flexed.
Doppler sonography is performed using the same transducer.
When the examination is complete, the patient may be asked to dress and wait while the ultrasound images are reviewed. However, the sonographer or radiologist is often able to review the ultrasound images in real-time as they are acquired and the patient can be released immediately.
These ultrasound examinations are usually completed within 30 minutes.
What will I experience during and after the procedure?
Most ultrasound examinations are painless, fast and easy.
For a transabdominal exam:
- After you are positioned on the examination table, the radiologist or sonographer will apply some warm water-based gel on your skin and then place the transducer firmly against your body, moving it back and forth over the area of interest until the desired images are captured. There is usually no discomfort from pressure as the transducer is pressed against the area being examined.
- If scanning is performed over an area of tenderness, you may feel pressure or minor pain from the transducer.
- Ultrasound exams in which the transducer is inserted into an opening of the body may produce minimal discomfort.
For a transvaginal exam:
- With transvaginal ultrasound, although the examination is often performed to look for a cause of pelvic pain, the sonogram itself should not be painful or significantly increase your discomfort. A vaginal sonogram is usually more comfortable than a manual gynecologic examination.
For a transrectal exam:
- If no biopsy is required, transrectal ultrasound of the prostate is similar or may have less discomfort than a rectal exam performed by your doctor.
- If a biopsy is performed, additional discomfort, due to the needle insertion, is usually minimal because the rectal wall is relatively insensitive to the pain in the region of the prostate. A biopsy will add time to the procedure.
- If a Doppler ultrasound study is performed, you may actually hear pulse-like sounds that change in pitch as the blood flow is monitored and measured.
Once the imaging is complete, the gel will be wiped off your skin.
After an ultrasound exam, you should be able to resume your normal activities within a few hours.
What are the benefits vs. risks?
Benefits
- Most ultrasound scanning is noninvasive (no needles or injections) and is usually painless
- Ultrasound is widely available, easy-to-use and less expensive than other imaging methods
- Ultrasound imaging uses no ionizing radiation
- Ultrasound scanning gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on x-ray images
- Ultrasound causes no health problems and may be repeated as often as is necessary
- Ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies
- Ultrasound provides real-time imaging, making it a good tool for guiding minimally invasive procedures such as needle biopsies and needle aspiration
- Pelvic ultrasound can help to identify and evaluate a variety of urinary and reproductive system disorders in both sexes without even the minimal risks associated with x-ray exposure
Risks
- For standard diagnostic ultrasound there are no known harmful effects on humans
Breast Ultrasound
What is a Breast Ultrasound?
Breast Ultrasound is an essential tool in identifying the composition of suspicious lumps in the breast. Breast lumps found during physical examination are usually evaluated with mammography. Often breast ultrasound is performed as a supplement to a mammography procedure. Breast ultrasound is the preferred imaging technique to identify fluid filled structures (cysts) that can be felt or diagnosed as a mass from a mammography procedure. In addition, breast ultrasound is a preferred imaging procedure for specific types of women, especially women under 30, breast-feeding or pregnant women, when conventional mammography is not a diagnostic option due to the density of the breast tissue.
For more information about Ultrasounds, click here.
Breast MRI
What is Breast MRI?
Breast MRI is a highly sensitive examination for the detection of breast cancer. It can detect cancers that cannot be seen by mammography or ultrasound. Breast MRI utilizes an intravenous contrast. Because tumor cell structure differs from normal cell structure, breast cancer demonstrates faster and more intense contrast enhancement compared with normal breast tissue. It is not limited by breast density or overlapping structures. Breast MRI requires state-of-the-art MRI scanners, dedicated breast coils, specialized radiologists and the capability of performing Breast MRI guided biopsies.
For more information about MRI, click here.
Bone Density/DEXA Scan
What is Bone Density/DEXA?
Although not a breast imaging study, a Bone Density study is often done in conjunction with mammography as part of a health screening program. Osteoporosis, or the weakening of bone structure as we age has been an increasing area of concern for patients, especially women. A bone density study can provide an evaluation of the bone structure to identify early bone loss, known as osteopenia or identify the patient has osteoporosis and is at higher risk for bone fracture. Many insurance companies provide periodic bone density scans as part of their routine health evaluation benefits.
