Effectiveness and Safety of Real-Time Transthoracic Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis

Lung Ultrasound Signs: The Beginning. Part 3-An Accademia di Ecografia Toracica Comprehensive Review on Ultrasonographic Signs and Real Needs

Over the last 20 years, scientific literature and interest on chest/lung ultrasound (LUS) have exponentially increased. Interpreting mixed-anatomical and artifactual-pictures determined the need of a proposal of a new nomenclature of artifacts and signs to simplify learning, spread, and implementation of this technique. The aim of this review is to collect and analyze different signs and artifacts reported in the history of chest ultrasound regarding normal lung, pleural pathologies, and lung consolidations. By reviewing the possible physical and anatomical interpretation of these artifacts and signs reported in the literature, this work aims to present the AdET (Accademia di Ecografia Toracica) proposal of nomenclature and to bring order between published studies.

Value of ultrasonography in determining the nature of pleural effusion: Analysis of 582 cases

To explore the value of ultrasonography in the auxiliary diagnosis of pleural effusion, we retrospectively analyzed the ultrasonographic findings of 275 exudates and 307 transudates and summarized the ultrasonographic image features of pleural effusion according to patients' primary diseases. The findings of thoracic ultrasonography performed before the initial thoracentesis in 582 patients with subsequently confirmed exudative/transudative pleural effusion were analyzed with regard to the sonographic features of pleural effusion. In 275 cases with exudates, thoracic ultrasonography showed a complex septate appearance in 19 cases (6.9%), complex nonseptate appearance in 100 cases (36.4%), complex homogenous sign in 46 cases (16.7%), and pleural thickness > 3 mm in 105 cases. In contrast, in 307 patients with transudates, most patients (97.1%) had bilateral pleural effusion. Ultrasonographic images displayed anechoic appearance and absence of pleural thickening in a vast majority of cases (306, 99.7%; 301, 98%). These positive findings in the exudate were statistically higher than those in their counterparts (P < .05). In the empyema subgroup, the proportion of complex septate appearance, complex nonseptate appearance, complex homogenous sign, and pleural thickening was the highest, at 19/41, 12/41, 10/41, and 30/41, respectively. Ultrasonography is valuable in defining the nature of pleural effusion. Some sonographic features of pleural effusion, such as echogenicity, septation, and pleural thickening, may indicate a high risk of exudative pleural effusion.

A Transthoracic Ultrasound-Guided Needle Biopsy Provided the Diagnosis for a Synovial Sarcoma of the Pleura

A case report is presented of a 72-year-old woman with monophasic synovial sarcoma of the buttocks, diagnosed four years before. The tumor was treated with surgical removal followed by radiotherapy. The patient regularly underwent follow-up examinations and the last chest computed tomogram (CT) showed a left-sided pleural mass and ipsilateral effusion. The patient was admitted in hospital to obtain a specific histological diagnosis before treatment of chest pathology was initiated. An ultrasound (US)-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the pleural lesion and US-guided thoracentesis with drainage of blood serum pleural fluid were performed. The pathological examination of the lesion revealed a definitive diagnosis of synovial sarcoma of the pleura. For pleural-based lesions, the diagnostic accuracy of US-guided biopsy is similar to that of CT-guided biopsy, with a lower complication rate, the absence of radiation exposure to patients, and a significantly reduced procedural time. The presence of pleural effusion creates a favorable acoustic window for US-guided biopsy of pleural lesion, which is useful for the diagnosis.