Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center1 Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hallym University Hospital2 Department of Radiology, Sangkye Paek Hospital3 Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Samsung Medical Center4
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE : To compare the diagnostic accuracy of chest ultrasonography (US) with computed tomography (CT) inpatients with opacification more than one third of unilateral hemithorax on chest radiograph (CXR). MATERIAL &METHODS : Chest US and CT scans from 41 consecutive patients with opacification more than one third of unilateralhemithorax on CXR were prospectively evaluated by two independent radiologists. Each radiologist recorded 1) thenature of pleural effusion (transudate vs. exudate), 2) presence or absence of pulmonary lesion, 3) thecharacteristic of pulmonary lesion (consolidation or atelectasis and tumor), and 4) presence of solid pleuraltumor. The diagnostic accuracy of chest US was compared with CT scan in patients with pleural, pulmonary or otherdisease. RESULTS : In 32 patients with pleural effusion, differentiation between transudate and exudate wasfeasible in 27 (84%) patients with US and 26 (81%) patients with CT. In 32 patients with pulmonary and otherpleural diseases, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US in lesion detection were 86%, 75% and 83%respectively when CT was regarded as a diagnostic gold standard. CONCLUSION : The diagnostic accuracy of chest USis comparable to CT in patients with hemithorax opacification on CXR.