The role of lung ultrasound and ultrasound elastography in diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases

• Published in: Tuberkuloz ve toraks Vol. 72; no. 2; p. 95
• Main Authors: Abdullayeva, Zarifa, Aydoğdu, Müge, Öztürk, Ebru, Yilmaz Demirci, Nilgün, Türktaş, Haluk Şaban, Köktürk, Nurdan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkey Bilimsel Tıp Yayınevi 01-06-2024
• Subjects: Aged; Case-Control Studies; Elasticity Imaging Techniques - methods; Female; Humans; Lung - diagnostic imaging; Lung Diseases, Interstitial - diagnostic imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Ultrasonography - methods
• ISSN: 0494-1373; 2980-3187
• DOI: 10.5578/tt.202402873

Ultrasound elastography (US-E) is a novel, tissue stiffness-sensitive imaging method. We aimed to investigate whether lung ultrasound (US) and US-E can play a role in diagnosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in which lung elasticity is affected due to fibrosis.
A prospective cohort study. Patients with ILD were defined as ''ILD group'' and with other pulmonary diseases as ''control group". All subjects were examined and compared by lung US in B and elastography modes. Besides, the relationship between ultrasonography and high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) and chest X-ray findings was evaluated.
A total of 109 patients, 55 in ILD and 54 in the control group, with a mean age of 62 ± 14 years, were included. A positive correlation was found between the Warrick score (calculated from HRCT to determine the severity of ILD) and the number of B-lines (discrete vertical reverberation artifacts, indicating interstitial lung syndrome) in lung US (p= 0.001, r= 0.550) in the ILD group. In US-E, blue color (meaning more rigid tissue) dominated in the ILD group, and green color (indicating medium tissue stiffness) dominated in the control group (p= 0.001). Lung US diagnosed the ILD with 69% accuracy, 80% sensitivity, and 60% specificity compared to HRCT. Combined with chest X-ray, diagnostic accuracy was 74%, sensitivity 60%, and specificity 89%.
Although lung US and US-E are not superior to gold standard HRCT in diagnosing ILDs, they can still be accepted as promising, novel, noninvasive tools, especially when combined with chest X-rays. Their role still needs to be clarified with further studies.