The role of ultrasound lung artifacts in the diagnosis of respiratory diseases

Proposal for International Standardization of the Use of Lung Ultrasound for Patients With COVID‐19

“…This highly scattering environment can explain this peculiar pattern. 3,5,7 • Score 3: The scanned area shows dense and largely extended white lung with or without larger consolidations.…”

“…A decade of clinical [1][2][3][4] and physical studies [5][6][7][8][9] clearly showed that lung ultrasound (LUS) is able to detect interstitial lung disease, subpleural consolidations, and acute respiratory distress syndrome from any etiologic cause. New evidence from published studies, [10][11][12] national and international organization statements, and informal case discussions with internationally recognized experts are showing the usefulness of LUS for the management of patients with 2019 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia, from diagnosis to monitoring and follow-up.…”

Is There a Role for Lung Ultrasound During the COVID‐19 Pandemic?

“…Hence, various types of localized vertical artifacts appear on the US images in relation to the alterations of the subpleural tissue. 2,3 These artifacts have generally been called B-lines, 4 but recently it has become clear that B-lines are very heterogeneous in their appearance. Moreover, their heterogeneity may be exploited as a means to characterize the alterations of the lung surface.…”

How to perform lung ultrasound in pregnant women with suspected COVID‐19

“…Cardiogenic pulmonary edema is characterized by regular, laser‐like, bright B‐lines, particularly evident bilaterally at the lung bases (due to the gravitational effect of cardiogenic edema), without spared areas, and the pleural line is regular.…”