Table 1 Glossary of terms used in LUS

Consolidation with an irregular margin

An airless hypoechoic portion of lung with a serrated hyperechoic lower margin; analogous to the “shred sign” in Vet BLUE^®.

Dynamic air bronchogram

Hyperechoic foci creating a branching pattern within the consolidation and representing air within the airways; the echoes appear in greater numbers at inspiration and partially disappear in expiration, a dynamic phenomenon created by the movement of air within the airways.

Air trapping

Presence of small, isolated hyperechoic foci within the bronchial tree that are too few to form a bronchogram. Represent small pockets of air trapped within the bronchial tree.

Static air bronchogram

Hyperechoic foci creating a branching pattern within the consolidation and representing air within the airways; they don’t change with respirations and remain visible in both inspiration and expiration.

Fluid bronchogram

Hypoechoic, long, fluid-filled spaces within the consolidation representing effusion within the bronchial tree.

Normal vascular pattern

A branching, tree-like pattern created by blood flow within a consolidation, visible in CD or PD mode; the vessels course along the bronchial tree.

Chaotic vascular pattern

Presence of a distorted, random vascular pattern within the consolidation, visible in CD or PD mode; blood flow may be continuous (neovascularization) or pulsatile.

B-lines

Hyperechoic vertical artifacts that originate from the pleural line and extend to the bottom end of the screen and move in synchrony with respirations; may or may not obliterate A-lines.

Pleural effusion

Presence of anechoic, hypoechoic, or echoic fluid in the pleural cavity; fluid separates the lung from the thoracic wall, thereby causing the disappearance of the pleural line.

Homogenous consolidation

An airless fragment of the lung that has a uniform echogenicity and echostructure; represents the “tissue sign” in Vet BLUE^®.

Wedge-shaped consolidation

A small, airless area of subpleural consolidation resembling a wedge in a normal, aerated lung; represents the “wedge-sign” in Vet BLUE^®.

Heterogenous consolidation

An airless fragment of the lung that has variable echogenicity and echostructure within its borders.

Vascular sign (flow amputation)

A small fragment of a vessel with a visible blood flow in CD or PD mode that terminates abruptly at the proximal edge (i.e. at the narrow apex located lower on the screen) of a wedge-shaped consolidation.

Local fluid directly above the lesion

A small portion of free fluid within the pleural cavity present only within the borders of a subpleural consolidation.

Local interstitial lesions

Small fragment of pleural line abnormalities (thickening, blurring, irregularity, discontinuity) with or without vertical artifacts of various length originating from the pleural line.

Infiltration of adjacent structures

Extension of the pathologic process from the lung through anatomical borders of the lung into the pleural cavity or thoracic wall structures.

Additional vascularity from intercostal vessels

Presence of blood flow within the branches originating from intercostal vessels in the thoracic wall, extending into the subpleural consolidation in CD or PD mode.