[Sonographic findings in interstitial lung diseases]

Up to now, sonography of the thorax has not been taken into consideration in cases of interstitial lung disease because of its technical limitations. This study was aimed at examining pleural and subpleural alterations in cases of interstitial lung disease and comparing the sonographic method with the usual imaging procedures such as x-ray and computer tomography.

24 patients, aged 25 to 70 who were diagnosed as suffering from an interstitial lung disease and underwent sonography of the thorax, were analysed with regard to the following criteria: 1 pleural effusions, 2 pleural fragmentations, 3 subpleural infiltrations > 2 mm, 4 pleural nodules.

Six patients were diagnosed to have small pleural effusions which had not been visible on x-ray-scans. 14 patients showed pleural fragmentations, 10 patients had subpleural infiltrations, and in one patient pleural nodules could be detected. Out of the 24 patients suffering interstitial lung disease, sonographic alterations were diagnosed in 17 cases (= 71%). Among the 9 patients definitively suffering from sarcoidosis, five had had a completely inconspicuous ultrasonic result, four of them with sarcoidosis stage I.

Sonography of the thorax has proved to be an excellent complementing examination method in cases of interstitial lung disease. The advantages lie in the possible detection of small pleural effusions and small subpleural infiltrations, where this method can also be used to monitor therapy.