ARDMS BREAST REGISTRY REVIEW EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
Artifact - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. A structure in the body that contains both
cystic and solid components.
Echogenic - ............ANSWER.............. A structure or medium that produces
echoes.
Edge Shadowing - ............ANSWER.............. Decreased echo amplitude distal to
the edge of a structure. This artifact results from refraction of the sound beam.
Enhancement - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. A structure that has an uneven texture
(hypoechoic and hyperechoic echoes throughout). Synonym - non-uniform.
,Homogeneous - ............ANSWER.............. Smooth uniform texture
Ipsilateral - ............ANSWER.............. On the same side.
Contrlateral - ............ANSWER.............. On the opposite side.
Isoechoic - ............ANSWER.............. Same echogenicity as another structure or
the surrounding tissue.
Noise - ............ANSWER.............. Spurious echoes throughout the image.
Real-time - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. Artifact causing linear echoes parallel to
a strong interface. Sound "bounces"
Ring Down - ............ANSWER.............. Reverb in which numerous parallel echoes
are seen for a considerable distance. E.g. a biopsy needle.
Sensitivity - ............ANSWER.............. The ability to diagnose disease in a patient
when disease is present.
Texture - ............ANSWER.............. The pattern of echoes seen from a mass or
area of interest in the body.
,Refractive Edge Shadowing - ............ANSWER.............. Bending of a sound beam
and loss of sound energy causing a shadow.
Mid level gray corresponds to _____ in the breast. - ............ANSWER.............. Fat
Hyperechoic describes what three structures visualized in breast sonography. -
............ANSWER.............. Fibroglandular tissue, Cooper's Ligament, Skin
What frequency transducer is optimal for breast imaging? -
............ANSWER.............. 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.... - ............ANSWER.............. Focusing along
the short axis of the transducer.
What design of transducer is used in breast imaging? - ............ANSWER..............
Linear array is optimal
The advantage of a rectangular image over a sector image is the avoidance of
what artifact? - ............ANSWER.............. Beam divergence
Interventional procedures are more accurately guided with a _______
__________ probe. - ............ANSWER.............. Linear array
, When is a curved array transducer used in breast imaging? -
............ANSWER.............. Pathology too large to fit on linear image
Most linear transducers in breast sonography are ______ arrays. -
............ANSWER.............. 1-D
1-D arrays offer a fixed focus in the ________ plan (short axis) -
............ANSWER.............. Elevation
1.5-D matrix array transducers have multiple elements along the _____ axis of the
probe. - ............ANSWER.............. Short
1.5-D arrays offer some electronic focusing in the __________ plane. -
............ANSWER.............. Elevation
2-D array transducers are not currently _________. - ............ANSWER..............
available
Imaging depth should penetrate the chest wall-- ___ to ___ cm should be
adequate - ............ANSWER.............. 3, 6
An echo's brightness is controlled by ______ - ............ANSWER.............. gain
Know overall gain, TGC, and output power - ............ANSWER.............. This is
ultrasound elementary.
CORRECT ANSWERS
Artifact - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. A structure in the body that contains both
cystic and solid components.
Echogenic - ............ANSWER.............. A structure or medium that produces
echoes.
Edge Shadowing - ............ANSWER.............. Decreased echo amplitude distal to
the edge of a structure. This artifact results from refraction of the sound beam.
Enhancement - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. A structure that has an uneven texture
(hypoechoic and hyperechoic echoes throughout). Synonym - non-uniform.
,Homogeneous - ............ANSWER.............. Smooth uniform texture
Ipsilateral - ............ANSWER.............. On the same side.
Contrlateral - ............ANSWER.............. On the opposite side.
Isoechoic - ............ANSWER.............. Same echogenicity as another structure or
the surrounding tissue.
Noise - ............ANSWER.............. Spurious echoes throughout the image.
Real-time - ............ANSWER.............. 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 - ............ANSWER.............. Artifact causing linear echoes parallel to
a strong interface. Sound "bounces"
Ring Down - ............ANSWER.............. Reverb in which numerous parallel echoes
are seen for a considerable distance. E.g. a biopsy needle.
Sensitivity - ............ANSWER.............. The ability to diagnose disease in a patient
when disease is present.
Texture - ............ANSWER.............. The pattern of echoes seen from a mass or
area of interest in the body.
,Refractive Edge Shadowing - ............ANSWER.............. Bending of a sound beam
and loss of sound energy causing a shadow.
Mid level gray corresponds to _____ in the breast. - ............ANSWER.............. Fat
Hyperechoic describes what three structures visualized in breast sonography. -
............ANSWER.............. Fibroglandular tissue, Cooper's Ligament, Skin
What frequency transducer is optimal for breast imaging? -
............ANSWER.............. 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.... - ............ANSWER.............. Focusing along
the short axis of the transducer.
What design of transducer is used in breast imaging? - ............ANSWER..............
Linear array is optimal
The advantage of a rectangular image over a sector image is the avoidance of
what artifact? - ............ANSWER.............. Beam divergence
Interventional procedures are more accurately guided with a _______
__________ probe. - ............ANSWER.............. Linear array
, When is a curved array transducer used in breast imaging? -
............ANSWER.............. Pathology too large to fit on linear image
Most linear transducers in breast sonography are ______ arrays. -
............ANSWER.............. 1-D
1-D arrays offer a fixed focus in the ________ plan (short axis) -
............ANSWER.............. Elevation
1.5-D matrix array transducers have multiple elements along the _____ axis of the
probe. - ............ANSWER.............. Short
1.5-D arrays offer some electronic focusing in the __________ plane. -
............ANSWER.............. Elevation
2-D array transducers are not currently _________. - ............ANSWER..............
available
Imaging depth should penetrate the chest wall-- ___ to ___ cm should be
adequate - ............ANSWER.............. 3, 6
An echo's brightness is controlled by ______ - ............ANSWER.............. gain
Know overall gain, TGC, and output power - ............ANSWER.............. This is
ultrasound elementary.
