Ultrasound findings in pleural disorders

Abstract

Ultrasonography of pleural space is playing an increasingly great role in the diagnosis of panoply of pleural disorders. In fact, ultrasonography is a reliable and simple procedure, free from side effects, non invasive and painless. Its reliability has been contradicted mainly because of the non-specific data gathered, but plain chest radiographies, so largely used, do not offer a higher specificity or sensitivity. It remains however valid the fact that ultrasonography of pleural space has to be made from a well trained imaging specialist, able of contouring and separating anatomical structures and changes found herein. A summary of other imaging procedures is discussed as well, with computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear imaging procedures offering other possibilities, but lacking overall availability and immediate applicability.