The UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging has one of the few dedicated ultrasound groups in the United States. Ultrasound imaging (also called sonograms or sonography or ultrasound scanning) uses high-frequency sound waves to obtain images from inside the human body.  UCSF‘s ultrasound subspecialty utilizes state-of-the-art, high-resolution ultrasound machines equipped with 2D, 3D and 4D capability along with color and duplex doppler imaging to create real-time sonograms of patients. Unlike x-ray radiography or CT scanning, there is no ionizing radiation exposure with sonography.

Why Choose UCSF for Ultrasounds

UCSF doctors specializing in ultrasound are fortunate to have 100 cumulative years of experience looking at normal sonograms and complex abnormalities. At UCSF we have both the advanced ultrasound technology and specialized protocols. We also interpret high volumes of cases and this leads to development of quite specialized expertise.

High Level Expertise

The physicians in our subspecialty bring a high level of expertise to the interpretation each year of approximately 37,000 sonograms of adult, pediatric, obstetrical and gynecological patients. UCSF’s ultrasound physicians, who are clinicians as well as teaching faculty and researchers at UCSF, are known internationally as leaders in the field of ultrasound and have authored some of the seminal papers and books published in the last 30 years on a wide variety of relevant and important topics. Dr. Ruth Goldstein is chief of the UCSF ultrasound subspecialty.

Dr. Ruth Goldstein (Chief of Ultrasound) and Dr. Liina Poder

Hands-on Approach

What distinguishes UCSF‘s ultrasound service is our hands-on approach to sonographic diagnosis. Every sonogram is checked by both an accredited physician and an attending physician or physician fellow before the patient leaves the department. Because ultrasound excellence is extremely operator dependent, we work closely with our 24 Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (RDMS), who are accredited by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography and trained at UCSF, to make sure that patients receive not only compassionate and sensitive care, but also the most accurate sonographic diagnoses possible. We also serve as a referral center locally and nationally for many patients whose doctors seek a second opinion after the patient was imaged at their local hospital.

How Ultrasound is Performed.