Ultrasonographic features of typical HRCT signs of interstitial lung diseases

Abstract

Backgroud: As a fast and non-invasive tool, transthoracic lung ultrasonography (TLU) has shown the value of diagnose some kinds of pulmonary diseases, such as Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). There are no studies exam the accuracy of TLU for each ILDs’ high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) characters, such as honeycomb, ground-glass opacity, consolidation, interlobular interstitial thickening and reticulation. In this study, we try to investigate the TLU characters of each HRCT signs of ILDs. Methods: Twenty-nine ILDs patients were involved in the study. Eighty-seven HRCT scanning planes were studied and totally 423 spots were investigated. A-lines and B-lines were recorded and B-lines’ interval, width and quantity were calculated. HRCT characters were also recorded for each spots. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of B-lines for all kinds of HRCT abnormalities of ILDs was 87.6% (95% CI 83.3, 90.9) and 84.2% (95% CI 75.0, 90.6), respectively. There was a significant difference of B-lines’ interval between consolidation and ground glass, interlobular septal thickening as well as grid shadow. There were no differences of B lines’ width and quantity for each HRCT signs. ILDs’ pleural change was rough and uneven on ultrasonic scanning. Conculsions: TLU is a sensitive and specific tool in the diagnosis of ILDs but has its shortage in differential diagnosis of each HRCT signs of ILDs.