Thyroid, Neck and Soft Tissue Ultrasound
These are the quick ones. Small-parts ultrasound looks at structures close to the skin, which is exactly what ultrasound is best at, and almost none of it requires any preparation at all.
Thyroid and neck
The thyroid sits just under the skin at the front of the neck, which makes it close to an ideal ultrasound target. The study is usually ordered after a lump is felt, after abnormal thyroid blood tests, or to follow a nodule that is already known about.
It shows the size and texture of the gland and characterises any nodules: solid or fluid-filled, their dimensions, their margins, whether they have concerning features. Thyroid nodules are extremely common and the large majority are harmless, which is precisely why imaging them properly matters. The point is to tell the ones that need attention from the ones that do not.
It takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You lie back with your neck slightly extended. There is gel, and nothing else.
Soft tissue lumps
For a lump anywhere accessible, ultrasound is usually the first study. It answers the immediate practical questions: is this solid or a fluid-filled cyst, how big is it, how deep does it go, does it have blood flow in it. That is frequently enough to settle whether anything further is needed.
Extremity soft tissue studies come as complete or limited depending on how much ground the question covers.
Breast ultrasound, and what it is not
This is worth being precise about. Breast ultrasound is not a mammogram and does not replace one. They answer different questions. Mammography is the screening tool; ultrasound is generally used to characterise something already found, whether by a patient, a clinician or a mammogram, and is often the preferred first look in younger patients with denser tissue.
We do not perform mammography. If you are due for screening, that is a different service and a different provider, and we would rather say so here than have you assume otherwise. See the scans we do not offer.
No preparation, in every case
Nothing on this page requires fasting, a full bladder, or any other preparation. Eat normally, take your medications, arrive as you are. For a neck study, avoid a high collar or a necklace if you can. Full details in how to prepare for your imaging exam.
What these cost
Published 2026 cash prices, each including the radiologist's read.
| CPT | Exam | Cash price |
|---|---|---|
| 76536 | Neck, thyroid or parathyroid, and soft tissue | $357.80 |
| 76604 | Soft tissue, chest wall | $328.19 |
| 76881 | Extremity, non-vascular, complete | $327.25 |
| 76882 | Extremity, non-vascular, limited | $303.88 |
| 76641 | Breast, complete, left or right | $331.77 |
| 76642 | Breast, limited, left or right | $302.50 |
These sit in the middle of our range. The full price list has all 43 studies.