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Review
. 2021 Apr 3;11(4):652.
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics11040652.

Lung Ultrasound: Its Findings and New Applications in Neonatology and Pediatric Diseases

Elio Iovine  1 , Raffaella Nenna  1 , Silvia Bloise  2 , Domenico Paolo La Regina  1 , Daniela Pepino  1 , Laura Petrarca  1 , Antonella Frassanito  1 , Riccardo Lubrano  2 , Fabio Midulla  1
Affiliations
Review

Lung Ultrasound: Its Findings and New Applications in Neonatology and Pediatric Diseases

Elio Iovine et al. Diagnostics (Basel). .

Abstract

Lung ultrasound has become increasingly used in both adult and pediatric populations, allowing the rapid evaluation of many lung and pleura diseases. This popularity is due to several advantages of the method such as the low cost, rapidity, lack of ionizing radiation, availability of bedside and repeatability of the method. These features are even more important after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, given the possibility of recognizing through ultrasound the signs of interstitial lung syndrome typical of pneumonia caused by the virus. The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence of lung ultrasound (LUS) in children and its main applications in pediatric diseases.

Keywords: COVID-19; bronchiolitis; children; infants; lung ultrasound; pneumonia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Appearance of a healthy lung. White arrows show pleural and A-lines.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Isolated Z-lines (white arrow).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Isolated B-lines (white arrows).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). Coalescent B-lines, irregularity of the pleural line and subpleural consolidation are visible.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Transient tachypnea of the newborn. The dashed line shows the ultrasound demarcation line between the upper and lower lung fields: double-lung point (white arrow).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Congenital pulmonary airway malformation. Hepatization is targeted by the upper arrows. The lower arrow highlights the wider anechogenic round cystic areas.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Pneumonia. Hypoechoic areas with a liver pattern inside configuring a consolidation. Air bronchogram is visible.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Bronchiolitis. Coalescent B-lines arising from the pleural line.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Bronchiolitis. Subpleural consolidation (white arrow).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Anechogenic fluid collection above the diaphragm suggestive of pleural effusion (white arrows).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Hypoechogenic capsule lesion with irregular, hyperechogenic edges suggestive of lung abscess (white arrow).
Figure 12
Figure 12
Hypoechogenic and highly corpuscular collection suggestive of pleural empyema (white arrow).
Figure 13
Figure 13
Rib fracture in transverse scan along the major axis of the rib (white arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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