Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by elevated blood glucose levels due to defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. While diabetes itself is diagnosed through blood tests, ultrasound plays a significant role in managing its many complications. Diabetic patients undergo renal ultrasound to monitor for diabetic nephropathy, carotid and peripheral vascular ultrasound to assess for accelerated atherosclerosis, echocardiography to evaluate for diabetic cardiomyopathy, and obstetric ultrasound to monitor pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes, which can cause fetal macrosomia. Sonographers encounter diabetic patients frequently and should understand how this disease affects the organs they examine.
Sonography Term