Thoracic ultrasonography in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A and B lines

To investigate the ultrasonographic (US) imaging of the lung parenchyma of patients with stable-period chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and compare detected A-line and B-line artifacts (ALAs/BLAs) with those of a healthy-volunteer control group.

Patients with stable-period COPD and healthy patients who presented to the Chest Diseases Clinic between May 2023 and June 2024 were included in the study. The clinical, demographic, spirometric, and radiologic characteristics of the patients were recorded. The patients were evaluated using US from a total of six predetermined anatomic lines, and ALA/BLA counts were recorded. Visual scoring [Goddard scores (GS)] was used for the assessment of emphysema on thorax computed tomography and images were graded from mild to severe (≤25 %- >75 %). Data of the COPD and control groups were compared with each other.

A total of 44 patients with COPD with a mean age of 64.9 ± 8.5 years and 34 control group patients with a mean age of 61.7 ± 6.5 years were included in the present study. The average ALA and BLA was 4.7 ± 1.4 and 3.1 ± 1 in the COPD group and 3.7 ± 0.7 and 1 ± 0.1 in the control group, respectively (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). A correlation was observed between GSs, which indicate the degree of emphysema, and ALA counts in the COPD group.

Some changes can be detected using US in COPD. ALA/BLA counts may increase in patients with COPD. US, which is an alternative modality to other conventional imaging modalities, may be useful in patients with stable COPD.