Lung Ultrasound and Pleural Artifacts: A Pictorial Review
Ehsan Safai Zadeh,
Christian Görg,
Helmut Prosch,
Daria Kifjak,
Christoph Frank Dietrich,
Christian B. Laursen,
Hajo Findeisen
Affiliations
Ehsan Safai Zadeh
Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Christian Görg
Interdisciplinary Center of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Clinic for Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Clinical Infectiology, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Philipp University of Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35037 Marburg, Germany
Helmut Prosch
Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Daria Kifjak
Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Christoph Frank Dietrich
Department of General Internal Medicine (DAIM), Hirslanden Clinics Bern, Beau Site, Salem and Permanence, 3018 Bern, Switzerland
Christian B. Laursen
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark
Hajo Findeisen
Department for Internal Medicine, Red Cross Hospital Bremen, 28199 Bremen, Germany
Lung ultrasound is a well-established diagnostic approach used in detecting pathological changes near the pleura of the lung. At the acoustic boundary of the lung surface, it is necessary to differentiate between the primary visualization of pleural parenchymal pathologies and the appearance of secondary artifacts when sound waves enter the lung or are reflected at the visceral pleura. The aims of this pictorial essay are to demonstrate the sonographic patterns of various pleural interface artifacts and to illustrate the limitations and pitfalls of the use of ultrasound findings in diagnosing any underlying pathology.
