Abdomen imaging exams can help diagnose a range of conditions and essential organs:

• Kidney/ Renal: This exam is used to examine a pair of bean-shaped organs located behind the upper abdominal cavity on each side of the body. The kidneys remove waste from the blood and produce urine.
• Bladder: They remove waste from your body in the form of urine (pee), and they help balance your body’s fluids and electrolytes. The bladder is in the pelvic cavity.
• Gallbladder: This exam is used to visualize a small bag-shaped organ beneath the liver that stores bile (a substance that helps with digestion). When food is eaten, the gallbladder contracts, sending bile into the intestines to help in digesting food and absorbing vitamins.
• Liver: This exam is used to visualize a large dome-shaped organ that lies under the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen. The liver produces bile (a substance that helps with digestion), stores sugars, and breaks down many of the body’s waste products.
• Spleen: This exam is used to visualize a soft, round organ that helps fight infection and filters old red blood cells. The spleen is located to the left of the stomach, just behind the lower left ribs.
• Pancreas: This exam is used to visualize the gland located in the upper abdomen that produces enzymes that help digest food. The digestive enzymes are then released into the intestines. The pancreas also releases insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin helps the body use sugars for energy.
• Aorta: This exam is typically used when there is a risk of an aortic aneurysm, which is a potentially life-threatening condition. It is a swelling in the main artery that supplies blood to the belly, pelvis, and legs. The aneurysm is a weak spot in the blood vessel wall, at risk for breaking open and causing a severe bleeding.