Signs and lines in lung ultrasound

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pulmonology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly vital in acute and critical care.
• Lung ultrasound (LUS) is emerging as a key diagnostic modality for thoracic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the technique and common findings of lung ultrasound.
• To outline characteristic ultrasound signs associated with various lung pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Review of lung ultrasound techniques.
• Description of normal sonographic lung findings (A-lines, T-lines, bat sign, sliding sign, sea-shore sign, curtain sign, lung pulse).
• Identification and description of pathological signs (B-lines, quad sign, sinusoid sign, stratosphere sign, lung point sign, shred sign, tissue-like sign, double lung point sign).

Main Results:

• Lung ultrasound demonstrates distinct patterns for normal anatomy and diverse pathologies.
• Specific signs are associated with increased lung density (B-lines), pleural effusion (quad sign, jellyfish sign), pneumothorax (stratosphere sign, lung point sign), consolidation (shred sign), and transient tachypnoea of the newborn (double lung point sign).

Conclusions:

• Lung ultrasound is an effective point-of-care investigation with adequate training.
• Familiarity with specific ultrasound signs enhances diagnostic accuracy in lung assessment.