Deal of The Day! Hurry Up, Grab the Special Discount - Save 25% - Ends In 00:00:00 Coupon code: SAVE25
Welcome to Pass4Success

- Free Preparation Discussions
Mail Us support@pass4success.com
Location US
Mob_nav_barsMENU

ARDMS AB-Abdomen Exam - Topic 3 Question 6 Discussion

Actual exam question for ARDMS's AB-Abdomen exam
Question #: 6
Topic #: 3
[All AB-Abdomen Questions]

Which technique would best assist the sonographer to verify the finding in this image obtained from the right upper quadrant?

Show Suggested Answer Hide Answer
Suggested Answer: D

The image demonstrates a gallbladder with a possible echogenic focus (likely a gallstone) and posterior acoustic shadowing. This is suggestive of cholelithiasis. To differentiate uncomplicated gallstones from acute cholecystitis, the most effective technique is to assess for a positive sonographic Murphy sign.

A positive sonographic Murphy sign refers to the presence of focal tenderness over the gallbladder when it is directly palpated with the ultrasound transducer. It is a strong indicator of acute cholecystitis when combined with other features such as gallbladder wall thickening, pericholecystic fluid, and gallstones.

Sonographic Murphy sign --- key points:

Assessed during real-time scanning

Localized tenderness when pressure is applied over the gallbladder

Highly sensitive for acute cholecystitis (especially in the presence of stones)

Differentiation from other options:

A . Use compound imaging: Improves image quality by reducing artifacts but does not verify tenderness or confirm acute inflammation.

B . Change the patient's position: Helpful to confirm mobility of gallstones, but not diagnostic of inflammation.

C . Ask patient to perform Valsalva: Used primarily in vascular studies (e.g., assessing for varicocele or venous reflux), not relevant here.


Rumack CM, Wilson SR, Charboneau JW, Levine D. Diagnostic Ultrasound. 5th Edition. Elsevier, 2018. Chapter: Gallbladder and Biliary System, pp. 148--152.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Abdomen and/or Retroperitoneum, 2020.

Radiopaedia.org. Sonographic Murphy sign: https://radiopaedia.org/articles/sonographic-murphy-sign

by Tiara at Nov 19, 2025, 05:06 AM

Limited Time Offer

25%

Off

Get Premium AB-Abdomen Questions as Interactive Web-Based Practice Test or PDF

Contribute your Thoughts:

0/2000 characters
Submit Cancel
Janine
1 day ago
C seems less relevant here. Valsalva is for different scenarios.
upvoted 0 times
...
Twanna
6 days ago
I feel like A could enhance the image quality, but not as effective.
upvoted 0 times
...
Shaun
11 days ago
Option B could help too. Changing position might reveal more.
upvoted 0 times
...
Audria
17 days ago
I agree, D makes sense. It directly assesses gallbladder issues.
upvoted 0 times
...
Ben
22 days ago
I think option D is the best. Murphy sign is crucial.
upvoted 0 times
...
Lai
27 days ago
Valsalva could be useful too, but not sure it's the best option.
upvoted 0 times
...
Roxane
2 months ago
I thought compound imaging was the go-to for this?
upvoted 0 times
...
Werner
2 months ago
Wait, can changing the position really help that much?
upvoted 0 times
...
Antonio
2 months ago
Totally agree, D makes the most sense!
upvoted 0 times
...
Chandra
2 months ago
I think D is the best choice here.
upvoted 0 times
...
Marcelle
2 months ago
C) Ask patient to perform Valsalva is a good technique to try as well. Gotta love those fancy maneuvers!
upvoted 0 times
...
Tanja
2 months ago
D) Assess for sonographic Murphy sign is the correct answer. That's a classic sign for right upper quadrant pathology.
upvoted 0 times
...
Terrilyn
3 months ago
B) Change the patient's position is the best option to verify the finding in this image.
upvoted 0 times
...
Omer
3 months ago
Compound imaging sounds familiar, but I feel like it might not directly help with verifying the findings in this specific case.
upvoted 0 times
...
Pedro
3 months ago
Changing the patient's position might give us a better view, but I can't recall if it's the best option here.
upvoted 0 times
...
Dalene
3 months ago
I remember practicing questions about the sonographic Murphy sign; it seems like a solid choice for verifying findings in the right upper quadrant.
upvoted 0 times
...
Lyla
3 months ago
I think using the Valsalva maneuver could help, but I'm not entirely sure how effective it is in this scenario.
upvoted 0 times
...
Bonita
3 months ago
This is a tricky one, but I'm feeling confident. I'll start by assessing for the sonographic Murphy sign, then consider changing the patient's position if needed. Gotta cover all the bases!
upvoted 0 times
...
Noah
4 months ago
I'm a little confused by the options here. Does compound imaging mean using multiple transducer positions? I'll need to review that technique before deciding.
upvoted 0 times
...
Nickolas
4 months ago
The sonographic Murphy sign seems like the most direct way to check for the issue shown in the image. I'll focus on that approach.
upvoted 0 times
...
Gary
4 months ago
True, but D is more specific for this case.
upvoted 0 times
...
Elsa
5 months ago
Okay, I think I've got this. Changing the patient's position could help get a better view of the area in question. And the Valsalva maneuver might reveal something interesting too.
upvoted 0 times
...
Jennie
5 months ago
Hmm, I'm not sure about this one. I'll need to think through the different imaging techniques and how they could help verify the finding.
upvoted 0 times
Cletus
4 months ago
I think changing the patient's position could help.
upvoted 0 times
...
Angelica
4 months ago
What about assessing for the Murphy sign? That could be useful too.
upvoted 0 times
...
...

Save Cancel