title: Liver, gallbladder, and spleen.
abstract: Ultrasonic imaging is a successful method of evaluating upper abdominal anatomy. The size, shape, and contour of the liver, spleen, and gallbladder can be adequately defined. Ultrasound is a major tool in the diagnosis of jaundice for it can differentiate between extrinsic jaundice in patients who may require surgical intervention and intrinsic jaundice in a patient who requires only medical attention. The diagnosis and location of cysts, abscesses, and solid masses can be determined by echography with a high degree of accuracy. In patients with abdominal disturbances ultrasonic imaging is more than just an extension of the physical examination, it is a means of further refining the probabilities in the diagnosis of disease entities. It should no longer be considered a mere curiosity, but a unique diagnostic tool in the armamentarium of the modern physician.
mesh_terms: D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000175:diagnosis; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008722:Methods; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography