Ultrasonography of the thorax (excluding the heart).
Until recently, ultrasonography has had a subordinate role in the evaluation of the thorax in both small animals and humans, most likely due to the inability of sound to penetrate air-filled lung. When pathologic processes such as pleural effusion and lung consolidation provide an acoustic window to the thorax, however, thoracic ultrasonography becomes feasible. As this article illustrates, ultrasonography may be effectively employed in the diagnosis and management of various thoracic wall, pleural, mediastinal, pulmonary, and diaphragmatic diseases by providing valuable information not obtainable with routine radiography and enabling percutaneous aspiration or tissue core biopsy of lesions.
Department of Clinical Sciences, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA.
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Tidwell
D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002415:Cats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D019152:Paracentesis / Q000662:veterinary; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D013909:Thorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography