Aorta - Seagull Sign
Caption
The vertebrae, seen here as the deepest structure as a hyperechoic arch with posterior shadowing (horseshoe sign), is a key anatomic reference when scanning the aorta. The aorta is located immediately anterior to the vertebrae and to the right side on the screen (patient’s left). Contrast this with the inferior vena cava, which is seen to the left of the aorta, often in an oval or teardrop shape. In the center of the screen we see the celiac trunk branching off the proximal abdominal aorta. The Y-shaped “seagull sign” is created by the celiac trunk as it branches into the hepatic artery (left) and splenic artery (right). The portal venous confluence is visible between the IVC and the hepatic artery.