Ultrasound: State of the art

Ultrasound has become an accepted diagnostic modality since the late 1950s. Since its introduction as a soft‐tissue imaging method, ultrasound has broadened and assumed many research and clinical roles in medicine. Yet, despite the growing enthusiasm for ultrasound, there has been little written about its growth that brings together the latest areas of clinical utilization and research. To gather this data, we personally researched 32 leading medical centers in the United States. This paper shows where ultrasound stands now and where it is likely to go in the near future.