**1.3 Advantages and disadvantages of the ultrasound method**

Ultrasound is useful for the practitioner as a first imaging procedure in direct correlation to the clinical examination. The method has a very good cost/quality ratio, the image is very accurate and precise and the information has a dynamic character ("real time imaging"). It is important to note that ultrasound has its limitations which the examining physician must take into account. Thus, the ultrasound image contains a number of artifacts and is mainly limited by phenomena such as US attenuation related to distance and density. Ultrasound is an operator-dependent method, thus its reproducibility is reduced.
