Role of Ultrasound Elastography in Pleural Effusion

Role of Ultrasound Elastography in Pleural Effusion

Diagnostic performance of u.s elastography in pleural effusion

Pleural fluid is an extremely common problem however the diagnosis of pleural effusion remain challenging due its diverse aetiologies .transthoracic ultrasound is often the initial tool to help diagnosis of pleural effusion.

Ultrasound elastography is a novel ultrasound technology that can differentiate malignant disease from benign disease by quantitatively assses tissue stifness by measuring the degree of distortion under application of an external force (shear wave ) However, very limited studies are available evaluating the efficacy of this novel technique in diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion.

Inclusion Criteria:

.patients with pleural effusion above18 year

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients who refuse to undergone further investigations to reach final diagnosis of cause of pleural effusion

.patients with intercostal tube inserted in the effusion before enrollment in the study.