Women's Health

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• Stool (feces), air or other gas, or X-ray contrast material (such as barium) in the intestines or rectum.
• Inability to remain still during the test.
• Obesity.
• Having an open wound on the belly.

A full bladder is needed for a transabdominal ultrasound, so that the pelvic organs can be seen clearly.

What To Think About

• Ultrasound costs less than other tests that make pictures of organs and structures in the body, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). But in some cases, a CT scan or an MRI may also be needed to confirm a problem, such as cancer.
• With pelvic ultrasound, your doctor can usually tell the difference between a fluid-filled cyst, a solid tumor, or another type of lump. This is one of the main advantages of an ultrasound. An abnormal lump needs more testing. A follow-up ultrasound is often done in 6 to 8 weeks because many problems go away on their own within that time. Pelvic ultrasound cannot determine whether a lump is cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). A biopsy may have to be done for this.
• Transvaginal ultrasound is used during fertility checks to help guide the removal of ovarian follicles for in vitro fertilization.
• Fetal ultrasound can be done to see your baby (fetus). For more information, see the topic Fetal Ultrasound.
• If male problems, such as a big prostate, are found on ultrasound, more testing may be done. For more information, see the topics Digital Rectal Examination (DRE), Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), and Prostate Biopsy.