Ultrasound has proved its utility in a wide variety of clinical applications over the years, and improvements on both the hardware and software sides of the equation will only strengthen its position in medical imaging.
In fact, screening opportunities in general may serve to boost adoption of ultrasound technology. The role of ultrasound in screening for pathologies such as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), carotid stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease will most likely rise because the modality provides the possibility of accurate and cost-effective screening scans for a large population of at-risk patients, according to Dr. Edward Bluth of the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.
He noted that as patients have become increasingly sophisticated about the benefits of early detection and intervention, coupled with knowledge about screening techniques, they have begun requesting these exams to head off the most serious complications of disease.
Ultrasound is also gaining favor as a triage tool. For example, the use of ultrasound for focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) exams may offer real benefit for traumatic injury patients. Of course, training is crucial to ensure accurate performance of these imaging studies.
This year's RSNA show will highlight improvements in transducer design, more powerful software that enables specialized applications, and the increased diffusion of small, compact systems that can be used at the point of care to facilitate more complete patient exams than just physical assessment can provide.
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)