Ultrasound is also used to:

• Guide procedures such as needle biopsies, in which needles are used to sample cells from an abnormal area for laboratory testing.

• Image the breasts and guide biopsy of breast cancer (see the Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy page.

• Diagnose a variety of heart conditions, including valve problems and congestive heart failure, and to assess damage after a heart attack. Ultrasound of the heart is commonly called an “echocardiogram” or “echo” for short.