Many times I read an ultrasound report and I found some of them have what I call lazy reporting. Problems are at the center of what many people do at work every day. Whether you’re solving a problem for a client (internal or external), supporting those who are solving problems or discovering new problems to solve, the problems you face can be large or small, simple or complex, and easy or difficult. Start by the ( where, when, what, how and who).It can be simple as where is it?
Like an Inguinal hernia is seen well compressed and reducible. But where, Is it direct (medial0, or is it an indirect hernia (lateral)? Then I have to find where. The radiologist should ask the sonographer t show the relationship between this hernia and the Inferior epigastric vessel with Cini loop to prove if it is medial or lateral.
Other Sonographers like to put in the technical comments the liver mass is seen in the rt lobe or left lobe of the liver. It is fine but where? What segment of the left or the right so the next sonographer who will follow it in the future will focus on that segment?
The lymph node was is seen in the left neck? Again where? Which region there are 1 to 6 regions, it will be nice to comments and then focus on the largest and irregular node and describe the node, how it looks, any calcifications of blood flow?
Calling anisotropy in any muscle or tendon sonography a pathology like tendinitis etc, I have one sonographer called every tendon in the shoulder as tendinitis for every patient ! when I repeat those patients they were all clear anisotropy.It is very bad as the radiologist now try to correct the report. And I can go on and on about lazy technical reports in the breasts us, thyroid ultrasound, renal and adrenal areas and pelvic us.
Anisotropy and Isotropy
In a single crystal, the physical and mechanical properties often differ with orientation. It can be seen from looking at our models of crystalline structure that atoms should be able to slip over one another or distort in relation to one another easier in some directions than others. When the properties of a material vary with different crystallographic orientations, the material is said to be anisotropic.
Alternately, when the properties of a material are the same in all directions, the material is said to be isotropic. For many polycrystalline materials, the grain orientations are random before any working (deformation) of the material is done. Therefore, even if the individual grains are anisotropic, the property differences tend to average out and, overall, the material is isotropic.
When a material is formed, the grains are usually distorted and elongated in one or more directions which make the material anisotropic. Material forming will be discussed later but let’s continue discussing crystalline structure at the atomic level.
Thank you for reading my rants again and remember that “Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow.” ― Anthony Robbins .
Steve Ramsey. Calgary, Alberta – Canada.