Exploring the Diagnostic Potential of Chest Ultrasound for Thoracic Tuberculosis: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Background: Thoracic tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While chest radiography has been the standard imaging technique, it has limitations in detecting early or atypical TB manifestations. Chest ultrasound (CUS) offers a promising alternative due to its accessibility and ability to identify pleural effusions and lymphadenopathy, common in TB.Objective: To review the existing research on the diagnostic effectiveness of chest ultrasonography in thoracic TB. Methods: We looked through the databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus to find pertinent papers. Trials using chest ultrasonography for the diagnosis or treatment of pulmonary, pleural, mediastinal, and military forms of thoracic tuberculosis were taken into consideration. Results: Nine primary areas of applicability for chest ultrasonography were identified: 1) Look for pulmonary tuberculosis lesions. 2) Two Pleural effusion diagnosis.3) Pleurisy caused by tuberculosis, and the remaining five to determine tuberculosis. In 24–100% of patients, early-stage diffusion was also found along with organized symptoms. The false negative rate for chest ultrasound-guided needle biopsy was found to be low to moderate (10–23%). Of the patients with negative chest radiography, as many as 67% had mediastinal lymph nodes identified by CUS. Conclusions: Very few studies have looked at the use of chest ultrasonography in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), and those that have had serious methodological limitations. The scant data that is now available offers potential targets for additional diagnostic or feasibility studies, such as identifying lymphadenopathy, TB parenchymal patterns, residual pleural thickening, pleural effusion associated with tuberculosis, or using CUS to guide a biopsy.