Changes of interstitial fluid volume in superficial tissues detected by a miniature ultrasound device.
We evaluated the changes of tissue layer thickness in circumscribed superficial tissue areas with a 10-MHz A-mode and a 20-MHz B-mode ultrasound device under alterations in body posture and plasma volume to detect fluid shifts between the different compartments. In 20 male volunteers, we measured tissue thickness by A mode and corium and subcutis thickness by B mode at the forehead before and 30 min after three procedures: change from upright to supine position (P1); change from upright to 30 degrees head-down-tilt position (P2); infusion of 10 ml/kg body wt of Ringer solution (P3). We found a significant correlation between baseline tissue thickness and the sum of corium and subcutis thicknesses (r = 0.75, P < 0.01). The changes of body posture and plasma volume resulted in significant increases of tissue thickness (P1, 2.9%; P2, 11.6%; P3, 5.8%) and corium thickness (P1, 4.7%; P2, 8.1%; P3, 9.1%) but not of the sum of chorium and subcutis thicknesses. We conclude that fluid shifts from the intravascular to the extravascular compartment are detectable by evaluating corium thickness with a B-mode, or more easily tissue thickness with an A-mode, ultrasound device.
Eichler
W
W
Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of Luebeck, D-23538 Luebeck, Germany. eichler@medinf.mu-luebeck.de
Eisenbeiss
C
C
Schumacher
J
J
Klaus
S
S
Vogel
R
R
Klotz
K F
KF
D000328:Adult; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008297:Male; D008904:Miniaturization; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*