Ectasia refers to the dilation or stretching of a tubular structure beyond its normal diameter. In sonography, this term is commonly applied to vessels and ducts. Mammary duct ectasia is a condition in which the milk ducts in the breast become dilated and may fill with fluid, detectable on breast ultrasound. Aortic ectasia describes mild widening of the aorta that has not yet reached the threshold to be called an aneurysm. Coronary artery ectasia is a widening of the heart’s arteries. On ultrasound, ectatic structures appear wider than expected, and the degree of dilation is measured and documented to guide clinical management and follow-up.
Sonography Term