Abstract: In a method for extracorporeal examination of a body with an ultrasound head, in which a plurality of ultrasound emitters which are placed next to one another and emit ultrasonic radiation in a common central plane of the ultrasound head, and a plurality of ultrasound receivers are arranged in a row, in order to improve the reproducibility of the orientation of the ultrasound head, it is proposed that with the use of prominent points of the body, a geometrical structure which is defined by these prominent points be determined, and the ultrasound head be positioned relative to this geometrical structure in a defined orientation in which the ultrasound examination is performed on the body. An apparatus for performing this method is also described.