Urological ultrasound: information & specialists

Leading Medicine Guide Editors
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Leading Medicine Guide Editors

An ultrasound examination is an imaging examination procedure. It is used as standard in urology to diagnose urological diseases. Here you will find further information as well as selected specialists and centers for urological ultrasound examinations.

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Definition: Urological ultrasound examination

An ultrasound examination is a painless and side-effect-free imaging examination procedure. It uses ultrasound waves to visualize the internal organs on a monitor.

In urology, the doctor can use ultrasound to examine the entire urinary and reproductive system, including the abdominal cavity. The urological ultrasound examination therefore mostly assesses and examines

In urology, ultrasound is used specifically to diagnose and assess urological diseases.

Nieren, Harnleiter, Harnblase und Harnröhre
The position of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra © pixdesign123 | AdobeStock

The doctor first applies an aqueous gel to the skin. The gel helps the transducer of the ultrasound device to glide easily over the skin.

The device then emits ultrasound waves. These hit various tissues of the internal organs in the body, from which they are reflected to varying degrees. The ultrasound device captures this echo and converts it into an image. The doctor can then view this image in real time on the monitor.

When is a urological ultrasound examination carried out?

A urological ultrasound examination is carried out for certain diseases and symptoms. These include, among others

Ultrasound examination of the kidneys

Both kidneys are located in the abdominal cavity behind the intestines, below the diaphragm, on either side of the spine and in front of the back muscles. The right kidney is located under the liver and the left kidney under the spleen.

Each kidney is between 10 and 12 centimeters long and weighs between 120 and 200 grams. Vessels branching off from the main artery supply the kidneys with blood. The kidneys produce urine, which passes through the renal pelvis, the ureters, the bladder and the urethra.

The kidneys are clearly visible during a urological ultrasound examination. This is why ultrasound is one of the standard methods for clarifying and diagnosing kidney diseases and kidney complaints.

The patient is usually in the supine position during the ultrasound examination of the kidneys. If necessary, it may also be necessary to place the patient in an inclined position in which they are raised by 30 degrees.

The kidney is then scanned both longitudinally and cross-sectionally using ultrasound. The urologist assesses the size and shape of the kidneys and determines whether there are tumors or kidney stones within the kidneys.

Ultraschalluntersuchung der Nieren
Ultrasound examination of the kidneys with the patient in a lateral position © Peakstock | AdobeStock

Ultrasound examination of the ureters and bladder

The urinary bladder is located above the pelvic floor muscles. In women, it is therefore located in front of the uterus and the vaginal opening and in men in front of the rectum.

The ureters coming from the kidneys flow into the bladder. The urine produced by the kidneys dribbles continuously into the bladder. It has a capacity of around 0.3 to 0.5 liters.

The doctor uses urological ultrasound examinations to diagnose anatomical changes in the urinary bladder. On the other hand, statements can be made about the function of the bladder.

The ultrasound examination of the bladder is initially carried out with a full bladder. This allows the doctor to determine the thickness of the bladder wall and the capacity of the bladder. After micturition (complete emptying of the bladder), the bladder is examined again by ultrasound. The doctor assesses the amount of residual urine.

In this way

  • the emptying function of the bladder and
  • the length, width, depth and contour of the bladder.

The doctor can also detect any irregularities that occur with bladder cancer.

Urological ultrasound examination of the ureter is more difficult as it is overlaid by the bowel. It is therefore usually only possible to examine the proximal (towards the body) and distal (away from the center of the body) ureter by ultrasound - the middle ureter cannot be detected by ultrasound.

Ultrasound examination of the testicles and penis

In an adult man, the testicles are 4 to 5 centimetres long, 2 to 3 centimetres thick and have a volume of 12 to 30 millilitres.

A urological ultrasound examination of the testicles and penis can be used to diagnose or rule out tumors or calcifications.

A color Doppler examination can also be used to determine the blood flow to the testicles and penis. This allows the doctor to assess whether there is reduced blood flow due to a twisted testicle or erectile dysfunction due to changes in the vascular wall.

Ultrasound examination of the prostate

The prostate (prostate gland) is a chestnut-sized organ located between the bladder and the pelvic floor in men. It consists of glands, connective tissue and smooth muscle. The upper part of the urethra, into which the vas deferens from the testicles flow, runs through the prostate.

The urological ultrasound examination of the prostate is carried out using an ultrasound probe. The examining doctor guides the probe via the rectum directly to the prostate. This examination is also known as transrectal ultrasound of the prostate(TRUS). It enables the size, shape, boundaries and internal structure of the prostate to be assessed.

In addition, transrectal ultrasound is also used to perform prostate biopsies under ultrasound guidance.

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