At the upcoming RSNA 2017 meeting in Chicago, you'll hear variations on the key theme of how ultrasound in its various forms helps clinicians diagnose disease, stage treatment, and track healing. Technologies under discussion will range from shear-wave elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound, just to name a few.
Researchers will address a variety of clinical questions. How well does ultrasound correlate to MRI findings of suspicious lesions? How well do guidelines from the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound define cirrhosis? Does ultrasound reduce complications in pediatric renal biopsies? And can the technology help assess the effectiveness of compression stockings to prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness? (Spoiler alert: Yes.)
Look for research that explores the use of contrast ultrasound to assess muscle injuries and hepatic artery blocks and to diagnose Crohn's disease recurrence, as well as discussion of how real-time elastography can detect "golfer's elbow"; a new technique that registers ultrasound and MRI data to help guide spine needle interventions; and whether photoacoustic ultrasound is an effective alternative to fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid.
As for breast imaging, presenters will investigate studies on everything from how screening ultrasound compares with digital breast tomosynthesis and mammography and whether real-time breast ultrasound after a second opinion can prevent unnecessary biopsies to the effect of deep-learning software on the modality's performance.
Need to up your ultrasound game? At RSNA 2017 you'll find courses that address a range of topics, including diagnosing, tracking, and treating thyroid cancer; interventional breast procedures; musculoskeletal ultrasound; vascular Doppler; and interventional sonography.
Finally, check out the RSNA's controversy session on pelvic imaging -- "When is ultrasound enough?" -- as well as sessions on emerging uses of the technology (think immuno-imaging probes and elastography) and a primer on how to integrate CEUS into radiology practice.
For highlights of some of the many ultrasound scientific sessions and posters scheduled for presentation at this year's meeting, read on. To view the RSNA's complete listing of abstracts for this year's scientific and educational program, click here.
![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&fit=crop&h=100&q=70&w=100)
![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)
