Submit to Diagnostics Review for Diagnostics Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Interventional Ultrasound in Chest Diseases: Indications and Limits

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Imaging and Theranostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 16091

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marco Sperandeo

E-Mail
Guest Editor

1. Unit of Interventional and Diagnostic Ultrasound of Internal Medicine, IRCCS “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
2. Associate Professor in Diagnostic and Interventional Lung Ultrasound at the Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery and the Postgraduate School of Respiratory Disease, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
Interests: diagnostics (i.e., head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, lung, musculoskeletal ultrasound scans); interventional ultrasound-guided procedures (i.e., biopsies, thoracentesis, pleural and peritoneal drainage, echo-guided radiofrequency ablation of liver and lung malignancies)

Prof. Dr. Donato Lacedonia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
2. Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Policlinico Universitario “Riuniti” di Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: interventional bronchoscopic procedures (i.e., endobronchial biopsy, transbronchial needle aspiration, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration, cryobiopsy); diagnosis and management of interstitial lung diseases; sleep respiratory disorders and pulmonary hypertension and cancer biology; biomarkers and diagnosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a real-time, easily available, non-invasive, and radiation-free imaging modality that has been widely utilized in the complementary diagnosis of several pleuropulmonary disorders. More specifically, transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) is the method of choice for the assessment of pleural effusion (as even small quantities of liquid can be detected) and is of high diagnostic utility in the detection of—despite not characterizing—small pleuro-pulmonary lesions adhering to 70% of the echographically visible pleural surface and other pathologies involving the chest wall. A fundamental role for TUS has been established as a guide for thoracentesis and percutaneous needle biopsy for chest wall, pleural, and subpleural lesions. In addition, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) allows obtaining samples from targeted lymph nodes via the transbronchial route. This Special Issue will focus on the role of LUS during routine evaluation and its new interventional uses in the diagnosis and management of chest diseases. In particular, intraoperatory lung ultrasound (ILU) is a new complementary technique that deserves to be developed in light of its ability to effectively localize, in real-time, invisible or non-palpable pulmonary lesions during VATS, helping surgeons to perform biopsies with clear surgical margins and higher histological diagnostic yield.

Prof. Dr. Marco Sperandeo
Prof. Dr. Donato Lacedonia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

transthoracic ultrasound (TUS)
ultrasound-guided transthoracic needle biopsy (US-TNB)
endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA)
intraoperatory lung ultrasound during video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS-ILU)
pleuropulmonary diseases
chest wall pathologies

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 2433 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness and Safety of Real-Time Transthoracic Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis

by Marco Sperandeo, Carla Maria Irene Quarato, Rosario Squatrito, Paolo Fuso, Lucia Dimitri, Anna Simeone, Stefano Notarangelo and Donato Lacedonia

Diagnostics 2022, 12(3), 725; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12030725 - 16 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2650

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to specifically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of real-time ultrasound-guided thoracentesis in a case series of pleural effusion. Patients and methods: An observational prospective study was conducted. From February 2018 to December 2019, a total of 361 consecutive real-time transthoracic ultrasound (TUS)-guided thoracentesis were performed in the Unit of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound of the Research Hospital “Fondazione Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” of San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy. The primary indication for thoracentesis was therapeutic in all the cases (i.e., evacuation of persistent small/moderate pleural effusions to avoid super-infection; drainage of symptomatic moderate/massive effusions). For completeness, further diagnostic investigations (including chemical, microbiological, and cytological analysis) were conducted. All the procedures were performed by two internists with more than 30 years of experience in interventional ultrasound using a multifrequency convex probe (3–8 MHz). For pleural effusions with a depth of 2–3 cm measured at the level of the costo-phrenic sinus was employed a dedicated holed convex-array probe (5 MHz). Results: In all the cases, the attempts at thoracentesis were successful, allowing the achievement of the therapeutic purpose of the procedure (i.e., the complete drying of the pleural space or the withdrawal of fluid till a “safe” quantity [a mean of 1.5 L, max 2 L] producing relief from symptoms) regardless of the initial extent of the pleural effusion. There were only 3 cases of pneumothorax, for a prevalence rate of complications in this population of 0.83%. No statistical difference was recorded in the rate of pneumothorax according to the initial amount of pleural fluid in the effusion (p = 0.12). All the pleural effusions classified as transudates showed an anechoic TUS appearance. Only the exudative effusions showed a complex nonseptated or a hyperechoic TUS appearance. However, an anechoic TUS pattern was not unequivocally associated with transudates. Some chronic transudates have been classified as exudates by Light’s criteria, showing also a complex nonseptated TUS appearance. The cytological examination of the drained fluid allowed the detection of neoplastic cells in 15.89% cases. On the other hand, the microbiological examination of effusions yielded negative results in all the cases. Conclusions: Real-time TUS-guided thoracentesis is a therapeutically effective and safe procedure, despite the diagnostic yield of the cytological or microbiological examinations on the collected liquid being very low. Future blinded randomized studies are required to definitely clarify the actual benefit of the real-time TUS-guided procedure over percussion-guided and other ultrasound-based procedures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Ultrasound in Chest Diseases: Indications and Limits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 697 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CT-Guided Transthoracic Biopsy of Pulmonary Lesions: Diagnostic versus Nondiagnostic Results

by Cristina Borelli, Doriana Vergara, Anna Simeone, Luca Pazienza, Giulia Castorani, Paolo Graziano, Concetta Di Micco, Carla Maria Irene Quarato and Marco Sperandeo

Diagnostics 2022, 12(2), 359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12020359 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4691

Abstract

(1) Background: Despite the high accuracy of CT-guided transthoracic biopsy for diagnosis of pulmonary lesions, in a certain amount of cases biopsy results may indicate the presence of nonspecific findings or insufficient material. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CT-guided transthoracic biopsy of pulmonary lesions in providing a specific diagnosis and to analyze the variables affecting biopsy results. (2) Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 170 patients undergoing 183 CT-guided transthoracic biopsies of pulmonary lesions were included. The clinical, radiological and pathological data were reviewed to classify biopsy results as diagnostic or nondiagnostic and to identify which variables were associated with the two groups. (3) Results: The biopsy results were diagnostic in 150 cases (82.0%), of which 131 (87.3%) positive for malignancy and 19 (12.7%) with specific benign lesions, and nondiagnostic in 33 cases (18.0%). Twenty-two of the thirty-three (66.7%) nondiagnostic cases were finally determined as malignancies and eleven (33.3%) as benign lesions. In the diagnostic group, all the 131 biopsies positive for malignancy were confirmed to be malignant at final diagnosis (87.3%); of 19 biopsies with specific benign lesions, 13 cases were confirmed to be benign (8.7%), whereas six cases had a final diagnosis of malignancy (4%). Multivariate analysis showed increased risk of nondiagnostic biopsy for lesions ≤ 20 mm (p = 0.006) and lesions with final diagnosis of benignity (p = 0.001). (4) Conclusions: CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy is an effective technique for the specific diagnosis of pulmonary lesions, with a relatively acceptable proportion of nondiagnostic cases. Small lesion size and final benign diagnosis are risk factors for nondiagnostic biopsy results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Ultrasound in Chest Diseases: Indications and Limits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1287 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultrasound-Guided Pleural Effusion Drainage: Effect on Oxygenation, Respiratory Mechanics, and Liberation from Mechanical Ventilation in Surgical Intensive Care Unit Patients

by Hsin-Yueh Fang, Ko-Wei Chang and Yin-Kai Chao

Diagnostics 2021, 11(11), 2000; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics11112000 - 28 Oct 2021

Viewed by 1383

Abstract

The question as to whether an aggressive management of post-operative pleural effusion may improve clinical outcomes after major surgery remains unanswered. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ultrasound-guided pleural effusion drainage on oxygenation, respiratory mechanics, and liberation from mechanical ventilation in surgical intensive care unit patients. Oxygenation and respiratory mechanics were measured before and after drainage. Over an 18-month period, a total of 62 patients were analyzed. The mean drainage volume during the first 24 h was 864 ± 493 mL, and there were no procedural complications. Both the mean PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio and lung compliance improved after drainage. Additionally, 41.9% (n = 26) of patients were ventilator-free within 72 h after drainage. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that non-cardiovascular or thoracic surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 4.968, p = 0.046), a longer time interval from operation to the onset of pleural effusion (OR = 1.165, p = 0.005), and a higher peak airway pressure (OR = 1.303, p = 0.009) were independent adverse predictors for being free from mechanical ventilation within 72 h after drainage. Specifically, patients with a time from surgery to the onset of pleural effusion ≤6 days—but not those with an interval >6 days—showed a significant post-procedural improvement in terms of PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio, PaCO₂, peak airway pressure, and dynamic lung compliance. In summary, ultrasound-guided pleural effusion drainage resulted in significant clinical benefits in mechanically ventilated ICU patients after major surgery—especially in those with early-onset effusion who received thoracic surgery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Ultrasound in Chest Diseases: Indications and Limits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1380 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of EBUS-TBNA in Non-Neoplastic Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy: Review of Literature

by Valentina Scano, Alessandro Giuseppe Fois, Andrea Manca, Francesca Balata, Angelo Zinellu, Carla Chessa, Pietro Pirina and Panos Paliogiannis

Diagnostics 2022, 12(2), 512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics12020512 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6197

Abstract

Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is a condition in which one or more mediastinal lymph nodes are enlarged for malignant or benign causes, generally more than 10 mm. For a long time, the only way to approach the mediastinum was surgery, while in last decades endoscopic techniques gained their role in neoplastic diseases. At the present time, EBUS is the technique of choice for studying the mediastinum in the suspicion of cancer, while there are not strong indications in guidelines for the study of benign mediastinal lymphadenopathy. We reviewed the literature, looking for evidence of the role of EBUS in the diagnostics of non-neoplastic mediastinal lymphadenopathy, with special regard for granulomatous disease, both infectious and non-infectious. EBUS is a reliable alternative to surgery in non-neoplastic mediastinal lymphadenopathy, even if more evidence is needed for granulomatous diseases other than tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interventional Ultrasound in Chest Diseases: Indications and Limits)

► Show Figures