The Observation of Pleural Opacities by B Mode Ultrasonogram

We attempted to use ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pleural diseases. Fifty-eight patients with a pleural opacity on the chest radiography were studied. The ultrasonographic appearances of the pleural opacities were categorized as the echo free pattern and the echogenic pattern by the amount of internal echoes which emanate from the lesion. The echo-free pattern was classified as the septation pattern, the debris pattern and the free pattern. An appropriate amount of fluid was obtained at thracocetesis in 43 of 56 cases. Of 30 cases in which ultrasonographic appearances were not sonolucent, pleural fluid was obtained at thoracocentesis despite the presence of internal echoes. In this study, it is clarified that ultrasonography is a useful method for the observation of the thoracic internal structure in radiopaque conditions.