Test Overview

• Test Overview
• Why It Is Done
• How To Prepare
• How It Is Done
• How It Feels
• Risks
• What To Think About

A pelvic ultrasound (sonogram) is a procedure that uses reflected sound waves to produce a picture of the lower abdominal (pelvic) organs and other structures inside the pelvis. It does not use X-rays or other types of possibly harmful radiation. A small handheld instrument called a transducer is passed back and forth over the pelvic area.

It sends out high-pitched sounds (above the range of human hearing) that are reflected back to the transducer. A computer analyzes the sound waves and converts them into a picture that is displayed on a video monitor. The picture produced by ultrasound is called a sonogram, echogram, or scan. Pictures or videos of the ultrasound images may be saved as a permanent record.

The transducer may be shaped to fit into a man's rectum (transrectal) or a woman's vagina (transvaginal). A woman may have both transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound scans done to obtain a complete evaluation of the pelvic area. Occasionally, hysterosonography is done to evaluate the inside of the uterus (endometrial cavity) by filling the uterus with fluid during a transvaginal ultrasound. A pelvic ultrasound is most useful for looking at organs and structures that are solid and uniform (like the prostate gland) or are fluid-filled (like the bladder).

Mineralized structures (like bones) or air-filled organs (like the intestines) do not show up well on a sonogram. A pelvic ultrasound looks at the organs within the pelvis, including:

• The bladder, ovaries, uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes of a woman. See an illustration of female organs seen on pelvic ultrasound.
• The bladder, prostate gland, and seminal vesicles of a man. See an illustration of male organs seen on pelvic ultrasound.