Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jun 26, 2020; 8(12): 2408-2424
Published online Jun 26, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i12.2408
Assessment of diaphragmatic function by ultrasonography: Current approach and perspectives
Alain Boussuges, Sarah Rives, Julie Finance, Fabienne Brégeon
Alain Boussuges, Sarah Rives, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, ERRSO, Toulon 83800, France
Alain Boussuges, Center for Cardiovascular and Nutrition Research (C2VN), Aix Marseille Université, INSERM (1260), INRAE (1263), Toulon 83800, France
Julie Finance, Fabienne Brégeon, Service d’Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires, CHU Nord, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille et Aix Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille 13015, France
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to this paper with literature review, drafting the article, making critical revisions and approval of the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Alain Boussuges, MD, PhD, Professor, Center for Cardiovascular and Nutrition Research (C2VN), Aix Marseille Université, INSERM (1260), INRAE (1263), Boulevard de Sainte Anne, Toulon 83800, France. alain.boussuges@univ-amu.fr
Received: February 17, 2020
Peer-review started: February 17, 2020
First decision: April 1, 2020
Revised: May 19, 2020
Accepted: June 2, 2020
Article in press: June 2, 2020
Published online: June 26, 2020
Core Tip

Core tip: Ultrasonography provides a simple and non-invasive means of assessing diaphragmatic function. This article describes the different methods used to measure diaphragmatic excursion and thickness and detect diaphragmatic paralysis or dysfunction. Furthermore, the paper presents the various pathological conditions for which diaphragmatic ultrasound may be useful such as circumstances at high risk of phrenic nerve injury and diseases affecting diaphragmatic function. The development of methods such as speckle tracking imaging and ultrasound shear wave elastography should provide more detailed information for better assessment of diaphragmatic function.