VETT 215 Final Exam ACTUAL
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Ultrasonography can provide information about what - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Organ
architecture independent of organ function. Especially helpful in debilitated or young
patients, in which the contrast agents used in special procedures or exploratory surgery may
be contraindicated.
Using ultrasonography allows the ability to distinguish between what on masses seen in the
organs - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Allows the ability to distinguish solid masses from
those containing fluid and to determine the distribution of lesions in organs.
Explain how the ultrasonic beam works to capture the image: - CORRECT
ANSWERS✅✅The beam is created by a piezoelectric crystal that oscillates at several
million Hertz per second (MHz) within a transducer (probe). When the sound waves interact
with body tissues, the waves are reflected, and the echo is received by the transducer. The
received impulse is converted to an electronic signal and processed through a computer to
become part of a composite of signals that make up the final image of the organ. The
returning signals have different intensities because tissues have different acoustic properties
or acoustic impedance.
Acoustic impedance: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅The different acoustic properties of
tissues. The elasticity of the tissue determines the way sound interacts with the tissue
(reflection, transmission, or refraction).
Harmonic Mode: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅The use of tissue harmonics helps decrease
US artifacts in very large or obese patients. In this mode, a single deep frequency or multiple
deep penetrating frequencies are emitted into the body along with a harmonic overtone. The
objective is to achieve deeper homogeneous penetration with fewer artifacts, because this
mode utilizes software to filter the returning sound wave, removing echoes that may interfere
with a clearer image.
Acoustic enhancement: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅occurs when the sound beam travels
through a weakly attenuating structure like a bladder with fluid. The sound beams traveling
through tissues around the bladder are slowed or attenuated, whereas the sound beams
passing through the liquid don't lose much energy/intensity. When the sound beams hit the
tissue at the far side of the bladder, the reflection will appear brighter (hyperechoic) than the
, surrounding tissues on the same plane. This artifact appears as a distal enhancement on B-
mode imaging.
Acoustic shadowing: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅A lack of echoes beyond the reflecting
object. This echo free zone is created distal to the imaged organ when sound waves hit a
highly reflective tissue that prevents sound from being transmitted to greater depths. Minerals
and metals are highly reflective. Sound cannot penetrate bone.
Edge Shadowing: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅A form of refraction/redirection of the sound
wave, as it passes through a fluid-tissue interface. It's associated with curved fluid-filled
structures like the gallbladder, urinary bladder, cysts, and even sometimes the kidneys. The
phenomenon occurs in the far field of the object (away from the entrance of the beam). It
appears as a hypoechoic shadow that diverges from the surface of the curved structure. Edge
shadowing can occur when the incident angle of the sound beam hits the leading edge of a
circular object (the near edge). The objects in question must be composed of different
attenuation material, such as a liquid and solids side by side as in a cystic structure.
Reverberation: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Due to repeated back-and-forth reflection of
echoes trapped between 2 strong reflectors. The affect appears like a bright veil similar to the
northern lights. It's principally seen in a superficially positioned gas-filled loop of bowel and
within the stomach. The bright echo display makes it difficult to see anything distal to the
artifact. The end result is that one can't properly project an image of the opposing wall of the
digestive tract.
Mirror Image: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅The strong reflective surface between the
diaphragm and the air-filled lungs is a common place to observe a distinct mirror image of
tissues in the abdomen. The sound beams reflected back from this interface are misinterpreted
by the US machine, which then places a second image of the liver on the opposite side of the
diaphragm. This may be interpreted as a diaphragmatic hernia, thoracic mass, or even lung
pathology.
Side Lobe: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅When a transducer is emitting sound beams, the
majority are directed in a primary direction, but secondary lateral minor emissions are
simultaneously created. These become more pronounced as a transducer is set at its upper
threshold. These side lobe echoes can be displayed on the monitor even if they didn't
originate from the principal or main sound beam. This artifact can be reduced by changing
the position of the focal zone or by reducing the frequency of the transducer.
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Ultrasonography can provide information about what - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Organ
architecture independent of organ function. Especially helpful in debilitated or young
patients, in which the contrast agents used in special procedures or exploratory surgery may
be contraindicated.
Using ultrasonography allows the ability to distinguish between what on masses seen in the
organs - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Allows the ability to distinguish solid masses from
those containing fluid and to determine the distribution of lesions in organs.
Explain how the ultrasonic beam works to capture the image: - CORRECT
ANSWERS✅✅The beam is created by a piezoelectric crystal that oscillates at several
million Hertz per second (MHz) within a transducer (probe). When the sound waves interact
with body tissues, the waves are reflected, and the echo is received by the transducer. The
received impulse is converted to an electronic signal and processed through a computer to
become part of a composite of signals that make up the final image of the organ. The
returning signals have different intensities because tissues have different acoustic properties
or acoustic impedance.
Acoustic impedance: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅The different acoustic properties of
tissues. The elasticity of the tissue determines the way sound interacts with the tissue
(reflection, transmission, or refraction).
Harmonic Mode: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅The use of tissue harmonics helps decrease
US artifacts in very large or obese patients. In this mode, a single deep frequency or multiple
deep penetrating frequencies are emitted into the body along with a harmonic overtone. The
objective is to achieve deeper homogeneous penetration with fewer artifacts, because this
mode utilizes software to filter the returning sound wave, removing echoes that may interfere
with a clearer image.
Acoustic enhancement: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅occurs when the sound beam travels
through a weakly attenuating structure like a bladder with fluid. The sound beams traveling
through tissues around the bladder are slowed or attenuated, whereas the sound beams
passing through the liquid don't lose much energy/intensity. When the sound beams hit the
tissue at the far side of the bladder, the reflection will appear brighter (hyperechoic) than the
, surrounding tissues on the same plane. This artifact appears as a distal enhancement on B-
mode imaging.
Acoustic shadowing: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅A lack of echoes beyond the reflecting
object. This echo free zone is created distal to the imaged organ when sound waves hit a
highly reflective tissue that prevents sound from being transmitted to greater depths. Minerals
and metals are highly reflective. Sound cannot penetrate bone.
Edge Shadowing: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅A form of refraction/redirection of the sound
wave, as it passes through a fluid-tissue interface. It's associated with curved fluid-filled
structures like the gallbladder, urinary bladder, cysts, and even sometimes the kidneys. The
phenomenon occurs in the far field of the object (away from the entrance of the beam). It
appears as a hypoechoic shadow that diverges from the surface of the curved structure. Edge
shadowing can occur when the incident angle of the sound beam hits the leading edge of a
circular object (the near edge). The objects in question must be composed of different
attenuation material, such as a liquid and solids side by side as in a cystic structure.
Reverberation: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Due to repeated back-and-forth reflection of
echoes trapped between 2 strong reflectors. The affect appears like a bright veil similar to the
northern lights. It's principally seen in a superficially positioned gas-filled loop of bowel and
within the stomach. The bright echo display makes it difficult to see anything distal to the
artifact. The end result is that one can't properly project an image of the opposing wall of the
digestive tract.
Mirror Image: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅The strong reflective surface between the
diaphragm and the air-filled lungs is a common place to observe a distinct mirror image of
tissues in the abdomen. The sound beams reflected back from this interface are misinterpreted
by the US machine, which then places a second image of the liver on the opposite side of the
diaphragm. This may be interpreted as a diaphragmatic hernia, thoracic mass, or even lung
pathology.
Side Lobe: - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅When a transducer is emitting sound beams, the
majority are directed in a primary direction, but secondary lateral minor emissions are
simultaneously created. These become more pronounced as a transducer is set at its upper
threshold. These side lobe echoes can be displayed on the monitor even if they didn't
originate from the principal or main sound beam. This artifact can be reduced by changing
the position of the focal zone or by reducing the frequency of the transducer.
