A laceration refers to a jagged or irregular tear in body tissue, most commonly caused by blunt or penetrating trauma. In the context of ultrasound, lacerations typically refer to tears within solid organs like the liver, spleen, or kidney following an injury. On sonography, a laceration may appear as a linear or irregular hypoechoic area within the organ, sometimes with surrounding free fluid indicating bleeding. Point-of-care ultrasound, especially the FAST exam, is frequently used in trauma settings to quickly assess whether organ lacerations have caused internal bleeding that requires emergency intervention.
Sonography Term