title: Lung Ultrasonography in the Evaluation of Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Connective Tissue Diseases: Criteria and Severity of Pulmonary Fibrosis - Analysis of 52 Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with a diagnosed systemic connective tissue disease require regular monitoring from the point of view of interstitial lung disease. The main aim of this work is a description of the criteria for pulmonary fibrosis and the degree of the severity of the fibrosis during the course of interstitial lung disease through the TLU (transthoracic lung ultrasound).
  
  
  METHODS
  52 patients with diagnosed diffuse interstitial lung disease were qualified for this research, together with 50 volunteers in the control group. The patients in both groups were over 18 years of age and were of both sexes. The results of the TLU of the patients underwent statistical analysis and were compared to High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a consequence of the statistical analysis, we defined our own criteria for pulmonary fibrosis in TLU: irregularity of the pleura line, tightening of the pleura line, the fragmentary nature of the pleura line, blurring of the pleura line, thickening of the pleura line, artifacts of line B ≤ 3 and ≥ 4, artifacts of Am line and subpleural consolidations < 5 mm. As a result of the conducted research, a scale of severity of pulmonary fibrosis in TLU was devised (UFI - Ultrasound Fibrosis Index), enabling a division to be made into mild, moderate and severe cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transthoracic Lung Ultrasonography (TLU) gives a new outlook on the diagnostic possibilities, non-invasive and devoid of ionising radiation, of pulmonary fibrosis. This research work has allowed to discover two new ultrasound symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis (blurred pleural line and Am lines).
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Conective Tissue Diseases and Geriatric, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buda
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piskunowicz
authors.affiliation: Pneumonology and Allergology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porzezińska
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound & Biopsy Laboratory, Department of Paediatrics, Haematology & Oncology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kosiak
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Conective Tissue Diseases and Geriatric, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zdrojewski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography