Clinical Sonopathology for the Regional Anesthesiologist

The use of ultrasound to facilitate regional anesthesia is an evolving area of clinical, education, and research interests. As our community’s experience grows, it has become evident that anesthesiologists performing Broutine[ ultrasound-guided blocks may very well be confronted with atypical or even pathologic anatomy. As an educational resource for anesthesiologists, the following articles present examples of common sonopathology that may be encountered during ultrasoundguided regional anesthesia. This present article describes sonopathology related to bone, viscera, and subcutaneous tissue. (Reg Anesth Pain Med 2010;35: 281Y289) In part 2, we expand our presentation of sonopathology to include bone, viscera, subcutaneous tissue, and medicinal foreign bodies. As in part 1, we attempt to highlight clinical correlations that emphasize the relevance to anesthesiologists participating in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA).