If you've ever put on 3-D glasses to watch a movie, you know the power of seeing things in their three-dimensional glory—the images pop off the screen. A similar thing happens when doctors look at images of the body with 3-D ultrasound rather than conventional 2-D ultrasound.
Ultrasound imaging—also known as ultrasound scanning or sonography—uses high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. It is safe and painless, and it poses no risk from radiation. Doctors use it to diagnose a variety of medical conditions, including heart disease and cancer, and to determine damage to organs after an illness.
With 2-D ultrasound, images of the body appear flat. A 3-D picture can give doctors a better view of organs—including the gallbladder, heart, liver and uterus—and glands, such as the thyroid. It can also provide a clearer picture of tumors in places such as the breast, brain or prostate. That may make it easier to do needle biopsies and to determine the size of a tumor.
A special view
Perhaps the most well-known—and cherished—use of 3-D ultrasound is for viewing babies in the womb. Parents who opt for a 3-D ultrasound get to see images of their child that are almost as clear as a photograph.
While those images are precious, they're also practical: They allow doctors to closely monitor a baby's health and development and to better spot any birth defects, such as cleft lip or club foot.
Source: March of Dimes; National Cancer Institute; Radiological Society of North America