The utility of lung ultrasound in evalu

Abstract

Aims: To study the role of lung ultrasound (LUS) in the evaluation of bronchiolitis in infants. Patients and methods: 25 hospitalized infants, their mean age (6.94 ± 4.48 months), 7 males and 18 females. All patients underwent chest X-ray (CXR) and lung ultrasound after full clinical examination with suspicion of bronchiolitis and evaluation for corresponding findings. Results: In 25 infants suspected clinically to have bronchiolitis, 11 patients had mild degree of bronchiolitis, other 11 patients had moderate degree and only 3 cases had severe form of bronchiolitis. The chest X-ray and lung ultrasound were done for all patients; the chest X-ray findings were non-specific including lung plethora in 6 patients, hyperinflation in 3 patients and peribronchial thickenings in 1 patient. The lung ultrasound findings were significant and variable ranged from subpleural lung consolidation in 3 cases, compact B-lines in 6 cases, pleural line abnormalities (thickening and irregularity) in 8 cases and small isolated B-lines in 11 cases. On follow-up of infants, the lung ultrasound findings were correlated positively with the clinical course of the disease. Conclusions: Lung ultrasound played an important role in the diagnosis, management and follow-up of infants with clinical suspicion of bronchiolitis.

Keywords

• Lung ultrasound
• Bronchiolitis
• Infants