Ultrasound examinations

It has been scientifically proven that ultrasound is a completely safe examination to perform. It can be performed on children and adults, healthy and symptomatic individuals, whenever needed and as many times as necessary. Therefore, it is used not only to evaluate the health status, but also the effectiveness of treatment or the dynamics of the condition.

In order to detect any abnormalities early and to prevent the development of diseases, it is recommended to have a preventive ultrasonography once a year. This allows timely detection of emerging lesions, pathological changes, non-symptomatic inflammatory processes, organ dysfunctions, identify inflammatory foci and other abnormalities and successfully treat them.

It is also particularly important to conduct such an examination in the presence of pain, trauma, induration, masses, or other worrisome changes.

All soft human tissues can be examined by ultrasound – skin lesions, blood vessels, nerves, internal organs, joints, tendons, muscles, as well as possible pathologies such as tumours, cysts, stones, presence of inflammation, thickenings, lacerations, fluid, and other symptoms that may be indicative of a certain disease.

Various soft tissue abnormalities can be detected during ultrasonography. An ultrasound examination is indispensable for the diagnosis of muscle, tendon, or ligament tears. During the healing process, it provides an opportunity to observe the process of tissue healing and fluid resorption (removal).

One of the most commonly performed ultrasound examinations is that of internal organs (liver, pancreas, gall bladder, eyes, spleen, lymph nodes, abdominal aorta) due to abdominal or lower back pain. In this case, ultrasound is recommended as an initial imaging test, which allows for a more accurate assessment of the internal organs and, if necessary, to prescribe other tests or refer to relevant specialists.

Ultrasound examination is also very important in case of palpable skin and subcutaneous lesions in the neck, armpits, breasts, or other parts of the body, which can be a warning sign of a serious disease. The examination can differentiate the origin and structure of these lesions and, if necessary, perform an ultrasound guided biopsy.

Ultrasound examination is also used during the plastic surgery planning. If an abdominal rectus muscle separation (diastasis) is suspected, an ultrasound of the abdominal wall is performed; and a breast ultrasound, when breast augmentation with implants is planned. It is also recommended to have a preventive breast ultrasound once a year after breast augmentation surgery in order to assess the condition of the implants as well as the breasts.

Allergy clinic Drauge performs ultrasound examinations using a modern, new-generation echoscope, which ensures extremely high image quality. Not only modern equipment, but also the skills, professionalism and experience of the doctor performing the ultrasound are essential for the accuracy of the test. At the Drauge Clinic ultrasonography are conducted by Jolita Kudirkienė, an experienced internal medicine physician and sonographer. A specialist with almost 30 years of experience, who performs ultrasound examinations of all areas in adults and children (except for cardiac, cerebrovascular for adults and cerebral and hip in children). Jolita Kudirkienė is a member of the Lithuanian Ultrasound Association and the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, and teaches at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.