A Pelvic Ultrasound looks at:

• The bladder, ovaries, uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes of a woman.
• The bladder, prostate gland, and seminal vesicles of a man.

Organs and structures that are solid and uniform, like the uterus, ovaries, or prostate gland, or are fluid-filled, like the bladder, show up clearly on a pelvic ultrasound.

Pelvic ultrasound can be done three ways: transabdominal, transrectal, and transvaginal.

Transabdominal ultrasound.

A small handheld device called a transducer is passed back and forth over the lower belly. A transabdominal ultrasound is commonly done in women to look for large uterine fibroids or other problems.

Transrectal ultrasound.

The transducer is shaped to fit into the rectum. A transrectal ultrasound is the most common test to look at the male pelvic organs, such as the prostate and seminal vesicles. Sometimes, a small sample of tissue (biopsy) may be taken with small tools inserted through the rectum during a transrectal ultrasound.

Transvaginal ultrasound.

The transducer is shaped to fit into a woman’s vagina. A woman may have both transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasounds to look at the whole pelvic area. A transvaginal ultrasound is done to look for problems with fertility. In rare cases, a hysterosonogram is done to look at the inside of the uterus by filling the uterus with fluid during a transvaginal ultrasound. Sometimes, a small sample of tissue (biopsy) may be taken with small tools inserted through the vagina during a transvaginal ultrasound.