Parenchymal Cavitations in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Comparison between Lung Ultrasound, Chest X-ray and Computed Tomography

Abstract

This article aims to detect lung cavitations using lung ultrasound (LUS) in a cohort of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and correlate the findings with chest computed tomography (CT) and chest X-ray (CXR) to obtain LUS diagnostic sensitivity. Patients with suspected TB were enrolled after being evaluated with CXR and chest CT. A blinded radiologist performed LUS within 3 days after admission at the Infectious Diseases Department. Finally, 82 patients were enrolled in this study. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) confirmed TB in 58/82 (71%). Chest CT showed pulmonary cavitations in 38/82 (43.6%; 32 TB patients and 6 non-TB ones), LUS in 15/82 (18.3%; 11 TB patients and 4 non-TB ones) and CXR in 27/82 (33%; 23 TB patients and 4 non-TB ones). Twelve patients with multiple cavitations were detected with CT and only one with LUS. LUS sensitivity was 39.5%, specificity 100%, PPV 100% and NPV 65.7%. CXR sensitivity was 68.4% and specificity 97.8%. No false positive cases were found. LUS sensitivity was rather low, as many cavitated consolidations did not reach the pleural surface. Aerated cavitations could be detected with LUS with relative confidence, highlighting a thin air crescent sign towards the pleural surface within a hypoechoic area of consolidation, easily distinguishable from a dynamic or static air bronchogram.