Purpose: The purpose of this study was to show the effectiveness of ultrasound (US) in the evaluation of pneumothorax by comparison with X-rays and computed tomography (CT).
Materials and methods: A series of 184 patients (130 men and 54 women), aged 26 to 82 years, underwent chest US after percutaneous needle biopsy. US findings were compared with CT postbiopsy selective slices and to X-rays.
Results: Pneumothorax was identified in 46 patients (25%) by CT, in 44 by US, with no false positives, and in 19 by X-rays. US sensitivity was 95.65%, specificity 100% and diagnostic effectiveness 98.91%.
Conclusions: Chest US was found to be a valuable diagnostic tool in pneumothorax diagnosis, with diagnostic effectiveness well beyond X-rays and similar to CT.