The Eiffel Tower sign on ultrasound refers to shadowing from which area?

The Eiffel Tower sign on ultrasound refers to shadowing from which area?

• A. Shadowing created by dense tissues in the area of the urethra and verumontanum
• B. Shadowing from the bladder
• C. Shadowing from calcifications within the prostate
• D. Shadowing from gas in the bowel

Answer: (A)

The Eiffel Tower sign comes from shadowing produced by dense tissues surrounding the urethra and verumontanum. On pelvic ultrasound, these periurethral structures create a characteristic, tower-like pattern of shadows as the ultrasound beam passes through them, resulting in a silhouette that resembles the Eiffel Tower. This specific pattern is tied to the anatomy around the prostatic urethra, not to the bladder, prostatic calcifications, or intraluminal bowel gas. The bladder would yield different shadowing patterns, calcifications in the prostate produce scattered calcific shadows, and gas in the bowel causes dirty or reverberation shadows—none of which match the Eiffel Tower appearance.

The Eiffel Tower sign comes from shadowing produced by dense tissues surrounding the urethra and verumontanum. On pelvic ultrasound, these periurethral structures create a characteristic, tower-like pattern of shadows as the ultrasound beam passes through them, resulting in a silhouette that resembles the Eiffel Tower. This specific pattern is tied to the anatomy around the prostatic urethra, not to the bladder, prostatic calcifications, or intraluminal bowel gas. The bladder would yield different shadowing patterns, calcifications in the prostate produce scattered calcific shadows, and gas in the bowel causes dirty or reverberation shadows—none of which match the Eiffel Tower appearance.