Ultrasonography

Ultrasound is a commonly used imaging modality that relies on the reflection of sound waves in tissue to generate images. Hand-held surface ultrasound has few uses in thoracic oncology, however. The modality can be used to assess pleural and pericardial effusions, both malignant and benign, and can be used to guide procedures such as thoracentesis, pleural drainage catheter placements, and biopsies of chest wall and pleural masses. Axillary and supraclavicular lymph nodes can be evaluated by ultrasound, and ultrasound can be used to guide biopsies of lymph node in these regions, though CT is generally preferred to assess for lymphadenopathy given its ability to evaluate all of the thoracic lymph node stations…