Can B-ultrasound have misdiagnoses?
Mar 28, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lv Aiming
Introduction
Ultrasound may lead to misdiagnosis. Ultrasound works by transmitting sound waves through the body, which generate different intensity echo signals due to varying acoustic impedances of tissues. These signals are displayed on a monitor, and doctors analyze the resulting images for diagnosis. However, this method is subject to various interfering factors, such as the skill level of the sonographer, patient positioning, and intra-abdominal conditions, leading to potential inaccuracies in the results.
B-ultrasound may lead to misdiagnosis, as no imaging examination can achieve 100% accuracy. The detailed analysis is as follows:
The ultrasound waves generated by B-ultrasound exhibit various physical properties such as reflection, refraction, scattering, attenuation, and absorption. When passing through different human tissues and organs, the waves produce echo signals of varying intensities due to differences in acoustic impedance. These signals are processed by a computer and displayed as various sonographic images on a monitor. Physicians then analyze these images to make diagnoses. However, this diagnostic method is subject to interference from multiple factors, including the skill level of the sonographer, patient positioning, and intra-abdominal conditions, which may result in certain inaccuracies in the test results.
Generally, to minimize inaccuracies in B-ultrasound findings, a comprehensive evaluation should be conducted by integrating the patient's medical history, laboratory tests, and other imaging examinations.
