Ultrasound
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Carolina Breast Care Specialists, PA
Sean T. Canale, MD, FACS
Oncoplastic Breast Surgery located in Raleigh, NC
If you’ve had an abnormal mammogram or have a strange lump in your breast, a noninvasive ultrasound can help diagnose your condition. At Carolina Breast Care Specialists, PA, in Raleigh, North Carolina, Dr. Sean T. Canale, MD, FACS, uses advanced technology, like ultrasound, to diagnose and treat breast disorders in a non-hospital setting. You don’t have to wait to find answers. Call Carolina Breast Care Specialists to schedule a same-day or next-day appointment; second opinion consultations are also available.
Ultrasound Q & A
What is breast ultrasound?
Ultrasounds produce images of the inside your body by using sound.
During an ultrasound, your technician applies a special gel to your breast. That gel helps the transducer make contact. The transducer is a wand-like, hand-held device that delivers sound waves to your tissue. As the transducer moves across your breast, it helps create and capture images of the insides of your breast. These images can reveal lumps, cysts, or other irregular tissue masses.
Breast ultrasound doesn’t use any radiation, so it’s safe for use during pregnancy or at risk of breast cancer. At Carolina Breast Care Specialists, PA, Dr. Canale relies on ultrasound to diagnose breast issues and perform biopsies using minimally invasive methods.
Why do I need a breast ultrasound?
Dr. Canale might recommend an ultrasound if you’ve had an abnormal mammogram or a physical exam revealing a mass in your breast. The screening is especially useful if you:
- Have dense breast tissue
- Are pregnant
- Are under 25 years of age
- Are at risk of breast cancer
Dr. Canale also uses ultrasound to perform breast biopsies. There are two common types of ultrasound biopsies: cyst aspiration and core biopsies.
What is ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration?
During ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration, or fine needle aspiration (FNA), Dr. Canale numbs the breast area of concern with a local anesthesia. He then uses ultrasound to locate your cyst. Once found, he inserts a small needle into your cyst to withdraw a fluid sample.
If Dr. Canale obtains fluid that’s black or bloody, it’s sent to pathology for additional testing. Fluid of other colors is usually benign. When no fluid is present, Dr. Canale might recommend an ultrasound-guided breast biopsy.
What is ultrasound-guided breast biopsy?
Dr. Canale uses ultrasound-guided technology to locate lumps and abnormalities in order to remove tissue samples with a hollow needle. Once collected, these biopsies undergo analysis under a microscope to determine if the irregular growths in your breast are cancerous or benign.
Also known as core needle biopsy, this method is considered less invasive than surgical biopsies and leaves little to no scarring.
To learn more about ultrasound technology, call Carolina Breast Care Specialists today.
