What is a transrectal ultrasound?
A transrectal ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging procedure used to check the health and diagnose any conditions related to the prostate.
The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder in men. This gland helps contribute fluid to the semen, which helps sperm travel through the urethra and toward an unfertilized egg.
Ultrasounds are minimally invasive procedures that provide a wide range of health information to health care providers. Unlike X-Rays or CT scans, ultrasound scans can show images moving in real-time, giving doctors a firsthand look into the movement of organs and tissue in the body.
Transrectal ultrasound machines use transducers that send out high-frequency sound waves into the body. Once these sound waves have bounced off soft tissue and organs in the body, they are converted into ultrasound images on a computer. After these images are recorded by the technologist (also known as a sonographer), a radiologist examines the results and forwards a report of the results to a primary care provider for diagnosis and treatment.