Correlation of ultrasound B-lines with high-resolution computed tomography in antisynthetase syndrome

Interstitial lung disease is a common finding in patients with the antisynthetase syndrome. High-resolution computed tomography is the reference test for diagnosis and follow-up of this condition, but it involves considerable radiation exposure. Our aim was to describe chest ultrasound features and its correlation with high-resolution computed tomography findings in a series of patients with the antisynthetase syndrome.

The study included patients from our antisynthetase syndrome cohort with varying degrees of interstitial lung disease, consulting in our outpatient clinic over a 1-year period. Chest high-resolution computed tomography and chest sonography were prospectively performed within a 1-week period. High-resolution computed tomography Warrick score was calculated and chest sonography findings (B-lines) at several sonographic points along the anterior and posterior intercostal spaces were semi-quantitatively analyzed. Rho Spearman statistics were applied for possible correlations.

Twenty-one consecutive patients were studied. A median of 59 thoracic points was studied per patient (IQR 6); 44.1% (95% CI 29.9-60.7) of them showed at least one B-line. A correlation coefficient of 0.135 (p=0.5) was found between the percentage of ultrasound points with B-lines and the Warrick's score. Only the number of bronchopulmonary segments showing ground glass findings was associated with the percentage of sonographic points with B-lines (Rho=0.5, p=0.02).

A good correlation between the percentage of sonographic points with B-lines and high-resolution computed tomography ground glass opacities was observed in patients with the antisynthetase syndrome.