Abstract
In this study, we sought to assess the validity of lung ultrasound (LUS) during the follow-up of patients with a wide spectrum of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Twenty-four patients (13 males, 11 females; mean age ± SD, 65.4 ± 14.3 years; age range, 40-84 years) with a diagnosis of ILDs who were admitted to the Interstitial Lung Disease Unit were prospectively enrolled. Patients were examined with a 56-lung intercostal space LUS protocol in lateral decubitus position, at baseline, 6-months, and 1-year. The LUS score was defined as the sum of B-lines counted in each intercostal space. All patients underwent complete pulmonary function tests at baseline and follow-up time-points. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was performed at baseline and during follow-up, according to personalized patients' needs. All HRCT studies were graded according to the Warrick scoring system (WS). Pooled data analysis showed a significant correlation between WS and LUS scores (P< .001). For separate time-point analysis, a significant correlation between LUS scores and WS was found at baseline (P< .001) and 1 year (P= .005). LUS scores negatively correlated with alveolar volume (VA) (P< .046) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (P< .001) at 6 months and with transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide (KCO) (P< .031) and DLCO (P= .002) at 12-months. A multivariate regression model showed DLCO to be an independent predictor of LUS score at 1 year (P= .026). Our results highlight the validity and potential applicability of LUS for disease monitoring in a wide spectrum of ILDs.
Published Version
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