Percutaneous Ultrasound

High-quality artifact-free ultrasound images can now be produced by a portable machine. Being relatively cheap and non-invasive, ultrasound is widely accepted as the first-line investigation for patients with abdominal symptoms. A negative ultrasound is often regarded as the absence of major abdominal conditions. Positive findings on ultrasound can guide further imaging (CT/MRI) for better characterization and delineation of the underlying disease. Specific diagnosis of certain disease entities can sometimes be made based on characteristic ultrasound features. The real-time nature of ultrasound can assist correlation with clinical symptoms and provide imaging guidance to obtain tissue biopsy. New advances in technique (contrast-enhanced ultrasound and ultrasound elastography) not only provide morphological but also functional assessment.