A breast ultrasound uses harmless, high frequency sound waves to make a picture of the tissues inside the breast. The sound waves pass through the breast and bounce back or echo from various tissues to form a picture of the internal structures. It is not invasive and involves no radiation. The breast ultrasound can show all areas of the breast, including the area closest to the chest wall, which is hard to study with a mammogram. Breast ultrasound does not use X-rays or other types of radiation. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.

Breast ultrasound is done to:

• Help diagnose breast abnormalities detected by a physician during a physical exam (such as a lump or bloody or spontaneous clear nipple discharge) and to characterize potential abnormalities seen on mammography.
• Check a breast lump found by self-examination, and/or to correlate finding on mammogram
• See whether a breast lump is solid or is fluid filled (a cyst) – a lump that has no fluid or has fluid with floating particles may need more tests
• Look at the breast in younger women where breast tissue is often more dense and a mammogram may not show as much detail
• Check your breasts if you have silicone breast implants or dense breast tissue
• In women , who are pregnant or should not to be exposed to x-rays (which is necessary for a mammogram).

Your physician will explain the procedure to you and offer you the opportunity to ask any questions that you might have about the procedure.
No fasting or sedation is required before the procedure.
You should not apply any lotions, powder, or other substances to the breasts on the day of the procedure. Dress in clothes that permit access to the area to be tested or that are easily removed. Based upon your medical condition, your physician may request other specific preparation.

In an ultrasound examination, a transducer both sends the sound waves and records the echoing waves. When the transducer is pressed against the skin, it directs small pulses of inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body. As the sound waves bounce off of internal organs, fluids and tissues, the sensitive microphone in the transducer records tiny changes in the sound's pitch and direction. These signature waves are instantly measured and displayed by a computer, which in turn creates a real-time picture on the monitor. One or more frames of the moving pictures are typically captured as still images.
You will lie on your back with your arm raised above your head on the examining table. A clear water-based gel is applied to the area of the body being studied to help the transducer make secure contact with the body and eliminate air pockets between the transducer and the skin. The sonographer (ultrasound technologist) or radiologist then presses the transducer firmly against the skin in various locations, sweeping over the area of interest or angling the sound beam from a farther location to better see an area of concern.
This ultrasound examination is usually completed within 30 minutes.