A medical diagnostic instrument (103; 301; 401), comprising: a proximal handle configured and dimensioned to permit an operator to manually grasp the instrument; an ultrasound probe (113; 305; 405) including a longitudinal shaft (115; 309; 409) extending distally from the handle and terminating in a distal end, and an ultrasound transducer mounted with respect to the longitudinal shaft proximate the distal end thereof, the ultrasound transducer induding an array of ultrasonic energy generation elements; and a tactile feeler probe (121; 303; 403) mounted with respect to the ultrasound probe, the tactile feeler probe including a longitudinal shaft (123; 307; 407) mounted with respect to the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe and extending distally beyond the distal end thereof, and a feeler probe tip defined at a distal end of the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe; wherein the ultrasound transducer and the distal end are cooperatively configured, oriented, and dimensioned to permit the operator to insert the ultrasound transducer and the distal end into a desired anatomical location to permit the operator to obtain thereat a corresponding two-dimensional image of the anatomical location for visual inspection by the operator for purposes of detecting ultrasonically-detectable anatomical properties; wherein the feeler probe tip and the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe are cooperatively configured and dimensioned to permit the operator to insert the feeler probe tip and the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe into the desired anatomical location to permit the operator to perform thereat a tactile inspection of the selected anatomical location, wherein the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe defines a first longitudinal axis along which the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe extends distally from the handle, wherein the ultrasonic energy generation elements of the array thereof define a second longitudinal axis along which the array of ultrasonic energy generation elements extends, wherein the second longitudinal axis is radially offset from the first longitudinal axis such that the first and second longitudinal axes define a first plane, wherein the handle includes a longitudinal shaft extending proximally from the ultrasound probe and terminating in a proximal end, the longitudinal shaft of the handle defining a third longitudinal axis along which the handle extends proximally from the ultrasound probe the third longitudinal axis being disposed in the first plane and wherein the tactile feeler probe is mounted with respect to the ultrasound probe such that the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe is supported, cantilever-style, by the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe. a proximal handle configured and dimensioned to permit an operator to manually grasp the instrument; an ultrasound probe (113; 305; 405) including a longitudinal shaft (115; 309; 409) extending distally from the handle and terminating in a distal end, and an ultrasound transducer mounted with respect to the longitudinal shaft proximate the distal end thereof, the ultrasound transducer induding an array of ultrasonic energy generation elements; and a tactile feeler probe (121; 303; 403) mounted with respect to the ultrasound probe, the tactile feeler probe including a longitudinal shaft (123; 307; 407) mounted with respect to the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe and extending distally beyond the distal end thereof, and a feeler probe tip defined at a distal end of the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe; wherein the ultrasound transducer and the distal end are cooperatively configured, oriented, and dimensioned to permit the operator to insert the ultrasound transducer and the distal end into a desired anatomical location to permit the operator to obtain thereat a corresponding two-dimensional image of the anatomical location for visual inspection by the operator for purposes of detecting ultrasonically-detectable anatomical properties; wherein the feeler probe tip and the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe are cooperatively configured and dimensioned to permit the operator to insert the feeler probe tip and the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe into the desired anatomical location to permit the operator to perform thereat a tactile inspection of the selected anatomical location, wherein the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe defines a first longitudinal axis along which the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe extends distally from the handle, wherein the ultrasonic energy generation elements of the array thereof define a second longitudinal axis along which the array of ultrasonic energy generation elements extends, wherein the second longitudinal axis is radially offset from the first longitudinal axis such that the first and second longitudinal axes define a first plane, wherein the handle includes a longitudinal shaft extending proximally from the ultrasound probe and terminating in a proximal end, the longitudinal shaft of the handle defining a third longitudinal axis along which the handle extends proximally from the ultrasound probe the third longitudinal axis being disposed in the first plane and wherein the tactile feeler probe is mounted with respect to the ultrasound probe such that the longitudinal shaft of the tactile feeler probe is supported, cantilever-style, by the longitudinal shaft of the ultrasound probe.