What's in the web for family physicians - diagnostic ultrasonography

Alfred KY Tang 鄧權恩

SonoWorld
http://www.sonoworld.com

This is a comprehensive website dedicated to medical diagnostic ultrasound. CME materials including an online textbook, case presentations and journal abstracts are available at the website. The SonoWorld Online Textbook of Ultrasonography is an online collection of different chapters from various ultrasonography textbooks. Case studies categorized by regions of the body are presented and they can also be selected by keyword search. For each case, differential diagnosis, final diagnosis, discussion and follow up management are put up for discussion. Journal articles and news in medical ultrasonography are also available.

Foetal Ultrasound
http://www.foetal.com/screen_gall.htm

The website is dedicated to ultrasound diagnosis of foetal abnormalities. The section on ultrasound screening is an image gallery of ultrasound images of different parts of the body. Ultrasound images of normal and abnormal foetal skull, heart, abdomen and skeleton are displayed. The section on genetic screening gives background information on Down's Syndrome, and types of screening tests for Down's Syndrome. There is another section on foetal echocardiogram which demonstrates the early detection of congenital heart disease. The last section on foetal growth evaluation demonstrates ultrasound diagnosis of foetal growth retardation.

Hospital for Special Surgery
http://www.imaginghss.org/

Abundant educational information for the public as well as for the medical professionals is available in this website of the Department of Radiology and Imaging of the Hospital for Special Surgery. There is a section on interesting cases where radiological images of educational value in different anatomical regions are presented. There is also a section on CME lecture where audio synchronized webcasts on diagnostic imaging are available (http://www.theonlinelearningcenter.com/webcasts/hss-webcasts/)

American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)
http://www.aium.org

As an organization to promote the usage of ultrasound in medicine and research, AIUM publishes official statements and technical standards on ultrasound in medicine at its website. Case studies, illustrated with patient information and an image gallery, is available at the website. The publication of AIUM, the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine (http://www.jultrasoundmed.org/) is also available here at the website. A section on CME tests is available online which can also be accessed at
http://www.aium.org/publications/cmeTests/cmeTest.asp

SPH Radiology - Neat Cases
http://www1.stpaulshosp.bc.ca/stpaulsstuff/NeatcasesbyText.html

Up to a hundred "neat cases" of radiology are presented in the website. Besides illustrative images, each case comes with brief patient history followed by questions and discussions on management issues. Answers are provided immediately after the test to facilitate learning.

USG Image Library at ObyGyn.net
http://www.obgyn.net/us/img_gal.htm

The website features a collection of ultrasound images in obstetrics and gynaecology intended for educational purpose. User submitted images are also available. The section on images of 3D ultrasound demonstrates very well how useful it can be and why it is superior over conventional diagnostic ultrasound.