Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for the effects of variable attenuation in a body being scanned by an ultrasound pulse echo scanner in which a compensation signal is derived on the basis that the signal strength of the received signal at any time instant after generation is influenced by both attenuation and back scatter. The apparatus comprises an array of transducers which generate a received signal from an echo, for applying a time-dependent gain to produce a signal which is a function of the received signal, temporary storage and integrator functions operable to sum the signal values for each time instant from a commencement point, the combining of the integrated signal with the stored original signal to form a quotient, and the displaying of the signal thus generated.