Question

During the performance of an abdominal ultrasound examination, you would most expect to encounter refraction in this view?

a) diaphragm below liver parenchyma
b) transverse view of the gallbladder
c) Sagittal view of the abdominal aorta
d) transverse view of the pancreas
e) refraction is not encountered during an abdominal sonogram.

Answer 1

Refraction is likely to occur in an abdominal ultrasound when the ultrasound waves pass through tissues of different densities, such as in the transverse view of the gallbladder.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the performance of an abdominal ultrasound examination, refraction of the ultrasound waves is most expected in the view where there are interfaces between tissues of different densities or where the ultrasound beam encounters a curved surface. Therefore, the correct answer is b) transverse view of the gallbladder. Refraction is a change in the direction of a wave due to a change in its transmission medium. In the context of an abdominal ultrasound, refraction can occur as sound waves pass through different tissues and structures within the abdomen. For example, the gallbladder, filled with bile or possibly containing gallstones, can create interfaces that can cause refraction of the ultrasound waves. This could lead to artifacts in the image or require adjustment by the technician to correctly interpret the ultrasound images.