Homogeneous vs heterogeneous

This is a brief discussion of the terms "homogeneous" and "heterogeneous" as they are used in diagnostic ultrasound to describe the texture of organ tissue.

Texture is " the overall appearance of the organ tissue in terms of its echo dot size, distribution, and echogenicity"

Homogeneous means "having a uniform, consistent echo-texture".

Heterogeneous is its opposite and means "having a non-uniform, inconsistent echo texture"

In general, the normal tissue of organs as seen with ultrasound is homogeneous.  When we see an organ with a diffusely heterogeneous texture, then we start thinking about disease processes that can cause that type of appearance.  A classic example is cirrhosis of the liver.  Normally the liver has a homogeneous texture, but when we see a liver with a heterogeneous texture, then one of the major options in the differential diagnosis is cirrhosis.

The adjacent video explains the use of the terms and provides examples.