Scans and X-rays
What Does Hypoechoic Mean on an Ultrasound?
Hypoechoic · say it: HY-poh-eh-KOH-ikAlso written: darker on ultrasound
Short answer
Hypoechoic is an ultrasound word for an area that reflects less sound and looks darker than the tissue around it.
What it means
On ultrasound, the brightness of an area depends on how much sound bounces back. Areas that send back less echo look darker grey.
Hypoechoic means an area looks darker than the tissue next to it. Many normal and harmless things look hypoechoic, as do some things that need more checking.
Fluid that sends back almost no echo is often called "anechoic" (black). Hypoechoic is in between: darker than surroundings but not completely black.
Where you may see it
- Ultrasound reports of the thyroid, breast, liver, kidney and lymph nodes
- Pelvic and pregnancy ultrasound reports
📄 How it looks on a report
A 1.1 cm hypoechoic nodule in the left thyroid lobe.
🙅 What it does not mean
- It does not mean cancer. Many harmless things look hypoechoic.
- It does not tell you what the area is on its own. Shape, edges and other features matter.
- It is not the same as hypodense, which is a CT word.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Hypoechoic”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Hypoechoic”
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🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Hypoechoic” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- RadiologyInfo.org ↗
Radiological Society of North America and American College of Radiology
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More words: scans and x-rays
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.