Modified lung ultrasound score to assess extent and prognosis in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease-associated interstitial lung disease
Authors' conclusion
BLs and PLs have different diagnostic significances for different ILD patterns. The modified LUS scoring system reliably assesses lesion severity and suggesting poor prognosis in SARD-ILD compared with computed tomography scan.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with nine systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease-associated ILDs (SARD-ILD)
- Participants
- 195 patients9 SARD-ILDs
- Comparison
- Modified lung ultrasound (LUS) score vs high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), ILD-GAP and forced vital capacity (FVC)-based severity
- Outcome
- Diagnostic performance of B-lines and pleural lines for ILD pattern characterisation vs HRCT; correlation of modified LUS score with Warrick score, ILD-GAP and FVC-based severity
Methodological detailsLUS-chest HRCT pairing
- LUS-chest HRCT pairing
Performance
As reported in the abstract
Concordance of LUS features with HRCT patterns; correlations of modified LUS score
B-lines for ground-glass opacity, kappa
0.606
Pleural lines for reticular opacity, kappa
0.743
Modified LUS score vs Warrick score, r (P < 0.001)
0.863
Modified LUS score vs ILD-GAP, r (P < 0.005)
0.613
Further findings
ROC-derived optimal modified LUS score thresholds
- High fibrosis burden (Warrick score >8)
- 11.5
- High mortality risk (ILD-GAP ≥2)
- 18.5
- Severe functional impairment (FVC% predicted <60%)
- 9.5
Original publication
Modified lung ultrasound score to assess extent and prognosis in systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease-associated interstitial lung disease. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 18 September 2025. doi:10.
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