Ultrasound for Chest: Lung and Pleural Examination and Diagnosis

Abstract

Ultrasound examination of the chest is used for evaluation of the lungs and pleura as well as the diagnosis of pulmonary pathology. It concentrates on the thoracic cavity, which includes the thoracic wall, pleural cavity, lungs, heart and great vessels. Located deep inside the thoracic wall, the pleural cavity is the potential space between the parietal and visceral pleurae. The visceral pleura wrap around the lungs and move back and forth during respiration. In an ultrasound exam, the pleural cavity cannot be directly displayed on screen. Instead, its normal and pathological conditions are reflected in the artifacts of “pleural lines”. Consequently, thoracic ultrasound examination relies largely on the artifacts shown in the visible pleural lines, as over 90% of respiratory pathological states involve the pleura. In this chapter, we will summarize the probe selection, imagine acquisition, lung ultrasound in normal and pathobiological conditions.