Speckle tracking as a method to measure hemidiaphragm excursion

Abstract

Introduction: Diaphragm excursion measured via ultrasound may be an important imaging outcome measure of respiratory function. We developed a new method for measuring diaphragm movement and compared it to the more traditional M-mode method.

Methods: Ultrasound images of the right and left hemidiaphragms were collected to compare speckle tracking and M-mode measurements of diaphragm excursion. Speckle tracking was performed using EchoInsight (Epsilon Imaging, Ann Arbor, Michigan).

Results: Six healthy subjects without a history of pulmonary diseases were included in this proof-of-concept study. Speckle tracking of the diaphragm is technically possible. Unlike M-mode, speckle tracking carries the advantage of reliable visualization and measurement of the left hemidiaphragm.

Conclusions: Speckle tracking accounted for diaphragm movement simultaneously in the cephalocaudad and mediolateral directions, unlike M-mode, which is 1-dimensional. Diaphragm speckle tracking may represent a novel, more robust method for measuring diaphragm excursion, especially for the left hemidiaphragm. Muscle Nerve 55: 125-127, 2017.

Keywords: M-mode; diaphragm excursion; diaphragm ultrasound; imaging biomarker; respiratory imaging biomarker; speckle tracking.