A breast ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to examine the tissue inside your breast. Your healthcare provider may recommend it as part of a mammogram follow up or to evaluate a new lump in your breast. It’s also often used to guide needles during a biopsy.
During the exam, you’ll undress from your waist up and lie on an examination table. A sonographer (healthcare professional with ultrasound training) will apply a clear gel to your breast and then move a handheld device that looks like a wand over the skin. This device sends out sound waves and then picks up the echoes that come back from deeper tissues within your body, creating a picture of your tissue on a computer screen. The procedure shouldn’t be painful.
What does the scan show?
Ultrasound can help your doctor determine whether a lump is a fluid-filled cyst or a solid mass. It can also tell how large the mass is and its location. It can also be helpful in evaluating other breast changes, such as nipple pain or a leaking implant.
In some cases, your doctor may use an ultrasound to guide a needle during a breast biopsy to collect a sample of the lump for testing. This is called a core biopsy or fine-needle aspiration (FNA). A sonographer can guide the needle to reach the correct area in your breast using ultrasound imaging. This helps ensure that the biopsy needle is placed in the center of the lesion and that it reaches the right cells, so the results can be accurate.