ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to categorize frequency of abnormalities detected by upper abdominal ultrasound. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present study was conducted on 3,398 people between the ages of 16 and 93 years old, who had the annual health check-up between October 2003 and May 2004 at the Health Promotion Center Bangkok Hospital Medical Center (all of those participating were defined as "patients"). Of these, 1,930 are men (56.8%) and 1,468 are women (43.2%). In the present study, the data of age, gender, and upper abdominal ultrasound findings were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 3,398 subjects, 1,782 patients (52.4%) had positive findings; 1,147 of which were men (64.4%) and 635 were women (35.6%). Fatty liver, being the most common positive finding, was observed in 1,219 patients (35.9%); 831 of which were men (68.2%) and 388 were women (31.8%). The finding of a liver mass, as the second positive finding, was observed in 209 patients (6.2%); of which were 124 patients (59.3%) with hepatic cyst, 51 patients (24.4%) with hemangioma, 16 patients (7.7%) with indetermined nodule, 11 patients (5.3%) with calcification, and 7 patients (3.4%) with malignant tumor while 664 patients (19.5%) had other positive findings. The top four included gallbladder polyp observed in 181 patients (5.3%), renal cyst observed in 155 patients (4.6%), gallstone observed in 141 patients (4.2%), and renal stone observed in 101 patients (3.0%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of abnormalities detected by upper abdominal ultrasound was 52.44%. The most common finding was fatty liver (35.87%). Although the majority of positive findings were benign conditions, some of them might have an adverse effect to the health condition of patients in the long run. The ultrasound findings also yielded the patient management to prevent subsequent disease and to perform medical treatment or follow up.