Assessment of Diaphragmatic Mobility in Dyspneic Patients With Different Types of Interstitial Lung Diseases

Interstitial lung diseases are known to be associated with limitations in daily activities and impaired quality of life. One of the most troublesome burdens for ILD patients is dyspnea during exercise, which extends to the resting state as the disease advances. The causes of dyspnea are suggested to be a progressive decline in total lung capacity (TLC) and vital capacity, along with impairment of diffusion capacity and subsequent development of (primarily hypoxic) respiratory failure along with respiratory muscle dysfunction. Studies have supported the advantage of ultrasonography in the assessment of diaphragmatic mobility by two-dimensional (BD) or M-mode. Others reported the investigation methods, the criteria for normal and pathological diaphragmatic function, and the perspectives of development in adult patients.