WFUMB position paper on reverberation artefacts in lung ultrasound: B-lines or comet-tails?

Med Ultrason. 2021 Feb 18;23(1):70-73. doi: 10.11152/mu-2944.

Abstract

The analysis of vertical reverberation artefacts is an essential component of the differential diagnosis in pulmonary ultra-sound. Traditionally, they are often, but not exclusively, called B-line artefacts (BLA) and/or comet tail artefacts (CTA), but this view is misleading. In this position paper we clarify the terminology and relation of the two lung reverberation artefacts BLA and CTA to spe-cific clinical scenarios. BLA are defined by a normal pleura line and are a typical hallmark of cardiogenic pulmonary edema after exclusion of certain pathologies including pneumonia or lung contusion, whereas CTAs show an irregular pleura line representing a variety of parenchymal lung diseases. The dual approach using low frequency transducers to determine BLA and high frequency transducer to determine the pleural surface is recommended.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Artifacts
  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Diseases* / diagnostic imaging
  • Pulmonary Edema*
  • Ultrasonography*