HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Article Archive Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Görg, C. Articles by Görg, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Görg, C. Articles by Görg, K.

Contrast-Enhanced Sonography for Differential Diagnosis of Pleurisy and Focal Pleural Lesions of Unknown Cause^*

^* From the Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Marburg/Lahn, Germany.

Correspondence to: Christian Görg, MD, Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie, Baldingerstraße, D-35033 Marburg, Germany; e-mail: goergc{at}med.uni-marburg.de

Background: Ultrasound enables the visualization of pleural-based lesions with a poor correlation to specific pathology. At this time, there are no data about the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced sonography (CES) in pleural lesions.

Methods: From August 2004 to January 2005, 25 consecutive patients with clinical symptoms of pleurisy and focal pleural lesions of unknown origin seen on B-mode ultrasonography were prospectively studied by CES. The lesions were diagnosed as pleuropneumonia (n = 12), pulmonary embolism/infarction (n = 7), malignant lymphoma (n = 2), pleural metastasis (n = 2), granuloma (n = 1), and unknown cause (n = 1). The diagnosis of the lesions was confirmed by contrast-enhanced CT scanning (n = 20), scintigraphy (n = 3), and follow-up (n = 2). Time to the enhancement of the contrast agent was determined. The CES patterns were evaluated during the arterial phase (ie, 2 to 30 s) and the parenchymal phase (ie, 1 to 5 min). The extent of the enhancement of pleural lesions was classified using normal liver tissue as an in vivo reference (absent, hypoechoic, isoechoic, hyperrechoic, or mixed echogenicity).

Results: In 20 patients, an enhancement of the pleural lesion was seen. All 12 patients with pleuropneumonia had a short time to enhancement (between 1 and 6 s), and a marked enhancement (isoechoic/hyperechoic) during the arterial and parenchymal phase. In the remaining 13 patients with other diagnoses than pleuropneumonia, 5 patients had no enhancement and 8 patients had a delayed time to enhancement (> 6 s). The extent of the enhancement was reduced (hypoechoic/anechoic) in 12 of 13 patients during the arterial and parenchymal phases.

Conclusion: In patients with pleurisy and pleural lesions of unknown cause that were found sonographically, CES enables the diagnosis or exclusion of pleuropneumonia.

Key Words: contrast-enhanced sonography • pleurisy • sonography

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Gorg, R. Kring, and T. Bert Transcutaneous Contrast-Enhanced Sonography of Peripheral Lung Lesions Am. J. Roentgenol., October 1, 2006; 187(4): W420 - W429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]