ARDMS BREAST REGISTRY REVIEW
EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Artifact - ANS An echo feature present or absent in a sonographic image that does not
correspond to the presence or absence of a real structure. Eg. enhancement or shadowing.
Attenuation - ANS The reduction of intensity (and amplitude) of a sound wave as it travels
through a material. Attenuation is due to absorption, reflection, and scattering.
Complex - ANS A structure in the body that contains both cystic and solid components.
Echogenic - ANS A structure or medium that produces echoes.
Edge Shadowing - ANS Decreased echo amplitude distal to the edge of a structure. This
artifact results from refraction of the sound beam.
Enhancement - ANS Increased echo amplitude returning from regions lying beyond an object
that causes little or no attenuation of the sound beam (typically a cystic structure). This artifact
results in a brighter than normal appearance.
Heterogeneous - ANS A structure that has an uneven texture (hypoechoic and hyperechoic
echoes throughout). Synonym - non-uniform.
Homogeneous - ANS Smooth uniform texture
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, Ipsilateral - ANS On the same side.
Contrlateral - ANS On the opposite side.
Isoechoic - ANS Same echogenicity as another structure or the surrounding tissue.
Noise - ANS Spurious echoes throughout the image.
Real-time - ANS The scanning and display of sonographic images at a sufficiently rapid rate so
that moving structures can be seen to move at their natural rate. ***Frame rates of 15 frames
per second or greater are considered real time***
Reverberation - ANS Artifact causing linear echoes parallel to a strong interface. Sound
"bounces"
Ring Down - ANS Reverb in which numerous parallel echoes are seen for a considerable
distance. E.g. a biopsy needle.
Sensitivity - ANS The ability to diagnose disease in a patient when disease is present.
Texture - ANS The pattern of echoes seen from a mass or area of interest in the body.
Refractive Edge Shadowing - ANS Bending of a sound beam and loss of sound energy causing
a shadow.
Mid level gray corresponds to _____ in the breast. - ANS Fat
2|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
, Hyperechoic describes what three structures visualized in breast sonography. -
ANS Fibroglandular tissue, Cooper's Ligament, Skin
What frequency transducer is optimal for breast imaging? - ANS 7.0-15.0 MHz is optimal for
superior axial and lateral resolution while maintaining penetration to the chest wall. It should
also be BROADBAND.
Fixed elevation focusing represents.... - ANS Focusing along the short axis of the transducer.
What design of transducer is used in breast imaging? - ANS Linear array is optimal
The advantage of a rectangular image over a sector image is the avoidance of what artifact? -
ANS Beam divergence
Interventional procedures are more accurately guided with a _______ __________ probe. -
ANS Linear array
When is a curved array transducer used in breast imaging? - ANS Pathology too large to fit on
linear image
Most linear transducers in breast sonography are ______ arrays. - ANS 1-D
1-D arrays offer a fixed focus in the ________ plan (short axis) - ANS Elevation
1.5-D matrix array transducers have multiple elements along the _____ axis of the probe. -
ANS Short
1.5-D arrays offer some electronic focusing in the __________ plane. - ANS Elevation
3|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
, 2-D array transducers are not currently _________. - ANS available
Imaging depth should penetrate the chest wall-- ___ to ___ cm should be adequate - ANS 3,
6
An echo's brightness is controlled by ______ - ANS gain
Know overall gain, TGC, and output power - ANS This is ultrasound elementary.
If your image is too bright decrease the ______________. - ANS Output power
If your image is too dark increase the ____________. - ANS Receiver gain
__________ focal zones are recommended for breast imaging. - ANS Multiple
Multiple focal zones will decrease what? - ANS Frame rate
a 7-12 MHz probe must be used to obtain an elevation focus depth of ____ to _____ cm. -
ANS 1,2
10 MHz = _____ cm elevation plane focus - ANS 1.5
____________ (artifact) decreases contrast resolution and spatial resoution (both axial and
lateral). Places unwanted echoes in cysts. - ANS Volume averaging
_______ __________ is more sensitive to low velocity flow and offers angle independence. -
ANS Power Doppler
4|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Artifact - ANS An echo feature present or absent in a sonographic image that does not
correspond to the presence or absence of a real structure. Eg. enhancement or shadowing.
Attenuation - ANS The reduction of intensity (and amplitude) of a sound wave as it travels
through a material. Attenuation is due to absorption, reflection, and scattering.
Complex - ANS A structure in the body that contains both cystic and solid components.
Echogenic - ANS A structure or medium that produces echoes.
Edge Shadowing - ANS Decreased echo amplitude distal to the edge of a structure. This
artifact results from refraction of the sound beam.
Enhancement - ANS Increased echo amplitude returning from regions lying beyond an object
that causes little or no attenuation of the sound beam (typically a cystic structure). This artifact
results in a brighter than normal appearance.
Heterogeneous - ANS A structure that has an uneven texture (hypoechoic and hyperechoic
echoes throughout). Synonym - non-uniform.
Homogeneous - ANS Smooth uniform texture
1|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
, Ipsilateral - ANS On the same side.
Contrlateral - ANS On the opposite side.
Isoechoic - ANS Same echogenicity as another structure or the surrounding tissue.
Noise - ANS Spurious echoes throughout the image.
Real-time - ANS The scanning and display of sonographic images at a sufficiently rapid rate so
that moving structures can be seen to move at their natural rate. ***Frame rates of 15 frames
per second or greater are considered real time***
Reverberation - ANS Artifact causing linear echoes parallel to a strong interface. Sound
"bounces"
Ring Down - ANS Reverb in which numerous parallel echoes are seen for a considerable
distance. E.g. a biopsy needle.
Sensitivity - ANS The ability to diagnose disease in a patient when disease is present.
Texture - ANS The pattern of echoes seen from a mass or area of interest in the body.
Refractive Edge Shadowing - ANS Bending of a sound beam and loss of sound energy causing
a shadow.
Mid level gray corresponds to _____ in the breast. - ANS Fat
2|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
, Hyperechoic describes what three structures visualized in breast sonography. -
ANS Fibroglandular tissue, Cooper's Ligament, Skin
What frequency transducer is optimal for breast imaging? - ANS 7.0-15.0 MHz is optimal for
superior axial and lateral resolution while maintaining penetration to the chest wall. It should
also be BROADBAND.
Fixed elevation focusing represents.... - ANS Focusing along the short axis of the transducer.
What design of transducer is used in breast imaging? - ANS Linear array is optimal
The advantage of a rectangular image over a sector image is the avoidance of what artifact? -
ANS Beam divergence
Interventional procedures are more accurately guided with a _______ __________ probe. -
ANS Linear array
When is a curved array transducer used in breast imaging? - ANS Pathology too large to fit on
linear image
Most linear transducers in breast sonography are ______ arrays. - ANS 1-D
1-D arrays offer a fixed focus in the ________ plan (short axis) - ANS Elevation
1.5-D matrix array transducers have multiple elements along the _____ axis of the probe. -
ANS Short
1.5-D arrays offer some electronic focusing in the __________ plane. - ANS Elevation
3|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
, 2-D array transducers are not currently _________. - ANS available
Imaging depth should penetrate the chest wall-- ___ to ___ cm should be adequate - ANS 3,
6
An echo's brightness is controlled by ______ - ANS gain
Know overall gain, TGC, and output power - ANS This is ultrasound elementary.
If your image is too bright decrease the ______________. - ANS Output power
If your image is too dark increase the ____________. - ANS Receiver gain
__________ focal zones are recommended for breast imaging. - ANS Multiple
Multiple focal zones will decrease what? - ANS Frame rate
a 7-12 MHz probe must be used to obtain an elevation focus depth of ____ to _____ cm. -
ANS 1,2
10 MHz = _____ cm elevation plane focus - ANS 1.5
____________ (artifact) decreases contrast resolution and spatial resoution (both axial and
lateral). Places unwanted echoes in cysts. - ANS Volume averaging
_______ __________ is more sensitive to low velocity flow and offers angle independence. -
ANS Power Doppler
4|P a g e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 2 5 T H E B R I G H T A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D
