When we think of ultrasounds, the first thing that comes to mind is usually ultrasounds for monitoring the development of babies. However, ultrasounds can be used for examining various parts of the body. My name is Katey and I have been studying ultrasound at Ahuntsic College for a semester, which has allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of this field. I have created this glossary in hopes of assisting students who are studying sonography in better comprehending the terminology commonly used in this subject. This glossary includes a variety of terms related to ultrasound, providing definitions for commonly used terms.
(medical) prescription
noun
An instruction written by a medical practitioner that authorizes a patient to be provided a medicine or treatment.
Example: There are currently online PRESCRIPTION sites where one can self diagnose, find the 'right' treatment and then get a PRESCRIPTION without seeing a doctor once.
en: ordonnance (médicale)
cardiac
adjective
Relating to the heart.
Example: A patient can instruct the hospital staff to refrain from resuscitating her if she suffers CARDIAC arrest.
en: cardiaque
contrast (agent)
adjective
A substance used to increase the contrast of structures or fluids within the body in medical imaging.
Example: MRI contrast agents are CONTRAST agents used to improve the visibility of internal body structures.
en: (agent de) contraste
diagnosis
noun
The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms.
Example: As mentioned before the presents of raised electrolyte concentrations is an important part of DIAGNOSIS.
en: diagnostic
disease
noun
A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that has a known cause and a distinctive group of symptoms, signs, or anatomical changes.
Example: This method is however likely to be fairly efficient at controlling the DISEASE.
en: maladie
Doppler (effect)
noun
An increase (or decrease) in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move toward (or away from) each other.
Example: The DOPPLER Effect is the effect on the wavelength of things as they move towards or away from you.
en: (effet) Doppler
echocardiography
noun
The use of ultrasound waves to investigate the action of the heart.
Example: Echocardiogram and ECG ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY can be used in suspected endocarditis to demonstrate bacterial vegetations.
en: échocardiographie
image
noun
A visual representation of something: such as
(1): a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material
(2): a picture produced on an electronic display (such as a television or computer screen).
Example: Ultrasonic IMAGES, also known as sonograms, are created by sending pulses of ultrasound into tissue using a probe.
en: image
myocardial
adjective
Relating to the muscular tissue of the heart.
Example: Diagnosis of ARVD can often be difficult and the diagnosis is based on investigations including ECG, echo, MYOCARDIAL biopsy and the gold standard investigation an MRI scan.
en: myocardique
pathology
noun
The science of the causes and effects of diseases, especially the branch of medicine that deals with the laboratory examination of samples of body tissue for diagnostic or forensic purposes.
Example: Any facial nerve involvement or cardinal symptoms of metastatic disease (weight loss, anorexia, fever) implies more serious PATHOLOGY.
en: pathologie
patient
noun
A person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.
Example: Individualised care needs to take into consideration the PATIENT's clinical situation, personal life and decisional control over care.
en: patient
treatment
noun
Medical care given to a patient for an illness or injury.
Example: This TREATMENT allows for high and consistent eradication rates after just a week of TREATMENT.
en: traitement
tumor
noun
A swelling of a part of the body, generally without inflammation, caused by an abnormal growth of tissue, whether benign or malignant.
Example: It is this metastasis of the cancer to sensitive areas, such as the lymph nodes, that makes breast cancer lethal, as a TUMOR in the breast is not lethal in itself.
en: tumeur
ultrasound
noun
Sound or other vibrations having an ultrasonic frequency, particularly as used in medical imaging.
Example: Investigations Carotid Doppler ULTRASOUND - to assess if there is any carotid vertebral artery stenosis.
en: ultrason
velocity
noun
The speed of something in a given direction.
Example: The table below lists typical longitudinal wave ultrasonic VELOCITIES in a variety of common materials that can be measured with ultrasonic thickness gauges.
