ARDMS Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep Guide

B-mode, or brightness mode ultrasound, typically displays blood vessels as hyperechoic structures. In this imaging modality, blood vessels appear as bright, or hyperechoic, areas due to the reflection of ultrasound waves off the walls of the vessels. This is because the vessel walls, which are generally composed of tissue and fluid, create a contrast against the surrounding soft tissues.

In contrast, an anechoic appearance generally refers to structures that do not reflect ultrasound waves, such as fluid-filled areas like cysts or the interior of blood vessels when they are not motioning. Heterogeneous refers to a mix of echogenicity within a specific region, which is not typical for uniform structures like blood vessels. Isogenic suggests equal echogenicity, which does not accurately represent how blood vessels are displayed because they are typically more echogenic than the surrounding tissue.

Understanding how B-mode imaging visualizes blood vessels is crucial for accurately interpreting ultrasound images in medical diagnostics.