The Unveiled Triad: Clinical, Radiological and Pathological Insights into Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DLPD) characterized by complex interstitial lung damage with polymorphic and protean inflammatory aspects affecting lung tissue targets including small airways, the interstitium, alveolar compartments and vascular structures. HP shares clinical and often radiological features with other lung diseases in acute or chronic forms. In its natural temporal evolution, if specific therapy is not initiated promptly, HP leads to progressive fibrotic damage with reduced lung volumes and impaired gas exchange.

Thoracic ultrasound combined with low-dose computed tomography may represent useful screening strategy in highly exposed population in the industrial city of Taranto (Italy).

Objectives: We validated a screening protocol in which thoracic ultrasound (TUS) acts as a first-line complementary imaging technique in selecting patients which may deserve a second-line low-dose high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan among a population of asymptomatic high-risk subjects for interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) and lung cancer. Due to heavy environmental pollution burden, the district Tamburi of Taranto has been chosen as "case study" for this purpose.

Methods: From July 2018 to October 2020, 677 patients aged between 45 and 65 year and who had been living in the Tamburi district of Taranto for at least 10 years were included in the study.

A Review on Biological Effects of Ultrasounds: Key Messages for Clinicians.

Ultrasound (US) is acoustic energy that interacts with human tissues, thus, producing bioeffects that may be hazardous, especially in sensitive organs (i.e., brain, eye, heart, lung, and digestive tract) and embryos/fetuses.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Distinguishing between Malignant and Benign Peripheral Pulmonary Consolidations: The Debated Utility of the Contrast Enhancement Arrival Time.

Limited studies and observations conducted on a too small number of patients prevent determining the actual clinical utility of pulmonary contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of contrast enhancement (CE) arrival time (AT) and other dynamic CEUS findings for differentiating between malignant and benign peripheral lung lesions. 317 inpatients and outpatients (215 men, 102 women; mean age: 52 years) with peripheral pulmonary lesions were included in the study and underwent pulmonary CEUS.

Could transthoracic ultrasound be useful to suggest a small airways disease in severe uncontrolled asthma?

Background: Transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) is an accepted complementary tool in the diagnostic process of several pleuro-pulmonary diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, TUS findings in patients with severe asthma have never been systematically described.

Objective: To explore if TUS examination is a useful imaging method in suggesting the presence of a "small airways disease" in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma.

Effectiveness and Safety of Real-Time Transthoracic Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to specifically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of real-time ultrasound-guided thoracentesis in a case series of pleural effusion.

Patients And Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted. From February 2018 to December 2019, a total of 361 consecutive real-time transthoracic ultrasound (TUS)-guided thoracentesis were performed in the Unit of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound of the Research Hospital "Fondazione Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" of San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy.

CT-Guided Transthoracic Biopsy of Pulmonary Lesions: Diagnostic versus Nondiagnostic Results.

(1) Background: Despite the high accuracy of CT-guided transthoracic biopsy for diagnosis of pulmonary lesions, in a certain amount of cases biopsy results may indicate the presence of nonspecific findings or insufficient material. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CT-guided transthoracic biopsy of pulmonary lesions in providing a specific diagnosis and to analyze the variables affecting biopsy results. (2) Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 170 patients undergoing 183 CT-guided transthoracic biopsies of pulmonary lesions were included.

Chest Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: The Complementary Role of Thoraci Ultrasound.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe infectious disease that still represents a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. For these reasons, clinicians and radiologists should use all the available diagnostic tools in the assessment of the disease in order to provide precise indications about starting an anti-tubercular treatment and reduce risk of TB transmission and complications especially in developing countries where the disease is still endemic. As TB mycobacteria are mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets, the pulmonary parenchyma is usually the first site of infection.

Intraoperative Lung Ultrasound (ILU) for the Assessment of Pulmonary Nodules.

Background: The primary aim of this study was to confirm the validity of intraoperative lung ultrasound (ILU) as a safe and effective method of localization for difficult to visualize pulmonary nodules during Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) and open thoracotomy. The secondary aim was to enhance knowledge on the morphological patterns of presentation of pulmonary nodules on direct ultrasound examination.

Materials And Methods: 131 patients with lung nodule and indication for surgery were enrolled.

Effectiveness and Safety of Transthoracic Ultrasound in Guiding Percutaneous Needle Biopsy in the Lung and Comparison vs. CT Scan in Assessing Morphology of Subpleural Consolidations.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to conduct a prospective analysis on the diagnostic accuracy of transthoracic ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy (TUS-PNB) for the histological assessment of peripheral lung lesions and to assess the performance of transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) examination vs. chest CT (gold standard) in the differentiation between malignant and benign peripheral lung lesions. (2) Methods: A total of 961 consecutive patients with subpleural pulmonary lesions were enrolled.

Transthoracic Ultrasound in Infectious Organizing Pneumonia: A Useful Guide for Percutaneous Needle Biopsy.

In patients presenting with classical features of CAP (i.e., new peripheral pulmonary consolidations and symptoms including fever, cough, and dyspnea), a clinical response to the appropriate therapy occurs in few days.

Lung Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Pneumonia: Not Always and Not Only What Is COVID-19 "Glitters".

In the current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, lung ultrasound (LUS) has been extensively employed to evaluate lung involvement and proposed as a useful screening tool for early diagnosis in the emergency department (ED), prehospitalization triage, and treatment monitoring of COVID-19 pneumonia. However, the actual effectiveness of LUS in characterizing lung involvement in COVID-19 is still unclear. Our aim was to evaluate LUS diagnostic performance in assessing or ruling out COVID-19 pneumonia when compared with chest CT (gold standard) in a population of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients.

Transthoracic ultrasound shear wave elastography for the study of subpleural lung lesions.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess whether new-generation shear wave elastography (SWE) is suitable for the characterization of lung subpleural lesions.

Methods: In total, 190 consecutive patients with subpleural lung lesions received ultrasonography and SWE. Patients with suspected malignancy underwent ultrasound-guided transthoracic needle biopsy.

The Role of Transthoracic Ultrasound in the Study of Interstitial Lung Diseases: High-Resolution Computed Tomography Versus Ultrasound Patterns: Our Preliminary Experience.

Transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) is a readily available imaging tool that can provide a quick real-time evaluation. The aim of this preliminary study was to establish a complementary role for this imaging method in the approach of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). TUS examination was performed in 43 consecutive patients with pulmonary fibrosis and TUS findings were compared with the corresponding high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans.

Diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma from Cell Block: A Reliable and Helpful Tool in "Selected" Diagnostic Practice.

Background: The diagnosis of lymphoma requires surgical specimens to perform morphological evaluation, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration may represent an appropriate first approach to obtain cytological samples in impalpable lesions and/or in patients unsuitable for surgical procedures. Although cytology has intrinsic limitations, the cell block method may increase the possibility of achieving an accurate diagnosis.