Ultrasound in Chest Disease: 1. Pleura.

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  • SFShadley Fataar
    Shadley Fataar
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Abstract
Retrospective study of 97 examinations in 60 patients with pleural problems. Seventy‐six were for assessment of presence of pleural fluid and localisation of aspiration/drainage sites in 37.Mass lesions studied in eleven and 16 patients were either biopsied or drained by the radiologist under ultrasound control. Examination of two post‐pneumonectomy patients revealed tumour recurrence in one and post‐surgical fluid residue in another. All fluids were transonic, whereas a fibrin meshwork was found in haemothoraces and empyemas. Microbubbles were specific for pyopneumothoraces while echogenic pus mimicked tumour in one patient. Seven pleural tumours were transonic or echogenic. The tumours were either smooth (metastatic) or irregular (mesothelioma). Two benign fibrous plaques were uniformly echogenic and smooth and were indistinguishable from malignant masses.