J Korean Soc Med Ultrasound.  1997 Sep;16(3):249-255.

Ultrasonographic Differential Diagnosis of Lung Lesion and Normal Thymus in Children with Increased Upper Lung Opacity

• Park CS
• Bae IY
• Kim ST

Abstract

PURPOSE
We performed this study to assess the value of ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of lung lesion and normal thymus in children with increased upper lung opacity on chest radiographs. MATERIALS & METHODS: We analyzed ultrasonographic findings of 16 children with suspected lung lesion who had increased upper lung opacity on chest radiographs. Longitudinal and transverse paramediastinal scans of upper thorax were obtained with 7 or 7.5 MHz linear-array transduccer. Final diagnosis was obtained by follow-up chest radiographs and clinical course.
RESULTS
Final diagnosis included pneumonia (n=8) and normal thymus (n=8). Ultrasonogram of lung lesion showed parenchymal hyperechoic air shadow (all cases) with ill defined (n=7, 87.5%) heterogeneously echoic triangular shaped mass(n=7, 87.5%) located lateral (n=5, 62.5%) or posterolateral (n=3, 37.5%) to the normal thymus and great vessels. Ultrasonogram of normal thymus had no internal hyperechoic air shadow (all cases) and showed well defined homogeneous mass(n=8,100%) with ovoid (n=5, 62.5%) or triangular shape (n=3, 37.5%), and located anterior (n=5, 62.5%) or anterolateral (n=3. 37.5%) to the great vessels.
CONCLUSION
Ultrasonography is very useful for differentiation of the lung lesion and normal thymus in children with increased upper lung opacity on chest radiographs.

MeSH Terms

Child*
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Lung*
Pneumonia
Radiography, Thoracic
Thorax
Thymus Gland*
Ultrasonography