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Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy of three-dimensional ultrasound for volume estimation of pleuraleffusion, keeping the volume obtained by pleural tap as the gold standard.Study Design: Cross-sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Radiology, Combined MilitaryHospital (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from 1st January 2023 to 30th June 2023.Methods: A total of 219 patients who fulfilled the selection criteria were included in the study. After detailedhistory and clinical examination, all patients underwent volume estimation of pleural effusion by ultrasoundusing a three-dimensional approach, i.e., anteroposterior, transverse, and craniocaudal. Subsequently, allparticipants underwent a pleural tap to drain fluid in order to estimate the actual volume. All findings werenoted down on a predesigned proforma and accuracy of ultrasonography was assessed.Results: The mean age of the patients was 42.62±12.96 years, with 112 (51.14%) males. The mean estimatedvolume of pleural effusion on USG was 668.94 (312 – 963) ml while on thoracentesis was 641.95 (310 - 999) ml.Pneumonia 93 (42.47%) was the leading cause, followed by hemothorax 37(16.89%). 89 (40.64%) had mild,while 11(5.02%) had severe pleural effusion, and the rest had moderate pleural effusion. The sensitivity,specificity, and accuracy of ultrasonography for mild pleural effusion (estimated volume was >10 to <500 ml)was 82.29%, 91.86% and 87.67%, for moderate pleural effusion (estimated volume was >500 to <1500 ml) was86.95%, 81.73% and 84.47% and for severe pleural effusion (estimated volume was >1500 ml) it was 85.71%,97.64% and 97.26%, respectively.Conclusion: Volume estimation by three-dimensional ultrasound had a high sensitivity, specificity, andaccuracy for varying severity of pleural effusion, keeping pleural tap as the gold standard.
How to cite this: Bakhtyar A, Dildar N, Amir H, Awais A, Iqbal M, Zahid A. A Cross-Sectional Study on the Accuracy of Volume Assessment of Pleural Effusion by Ultrasonography with Pleural Tap as the Gold Standard in Tertiary Care Setting, Rawalpindi. Life and Science. 2025; 6(3): 331-337. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.558