The spectrum of gray scale ultrasonographic patterns are described as seen in 17 hepatic amebic abscesses in eight patients. Of the abscesses 16 had a lower gray tone than the adjacent normal liver. In patients with multiple lesions, generally there was a reciprocal relation between abscess size and echogenicity and a direct relation between internal echogenicity and through transmission. The results in these eight patients suggest a role for ultrasound both in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic amebic abscesses.