title: Sonographic evaluation of diaphragmatic dysfunction in COPD patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diaphragmatic dysfunction is an important reason for dyspnea in COPD patients. But diaphragmatic dysfunction is difficult to evaluate. Ultrasound is an option. We measure sonographically the up- and downward movement of the lung silhouette on both hemidiaphragms. The aim of this prospective investigation was to compare this method with another sonographic method that visualizes the right hemidiaphragm directly and to compare the sonographic results with lung function parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty participants - 20 healthy persons and 60 COPD patients - three groups each with 20 patients with COPD GOLD II, III, and IV - were investigated. The sonographic measurements of the diaphragms were performed. Lung function parameters, blood gases, and 6-minute walk test were also collected and compared to the sonographic results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sonographic measurement of the lung silhouette was easy to perform in all study participants. The correlation between the sonographic methods measuring the right hemidiaphragmatic movement was strong (r=0.85). There was also a strong correlation between the demonstrated sonographic measurement of the up- and downward movement of the lung silhouette and the forced expiratory volume in the first second (r=0.83).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that the sonographic measurement of the movement of the lung silhouette is an easy way to establish diaphragmatic dysfunction in COPD patients; it can be done in all patients with reliable results for the right and the left hemidiaphragm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Marienkrankenhaus Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scheibe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Marienkrankenhaus Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sosnowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Marienkrankenhaus Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinkhasik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Marienkrankenhaus Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vonderbank
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumonology, Marienkrankenhaus Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bastian
mesh_terms: D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009068:Movement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: diaphragm; sonography; ultrasound