A-line (ultrasound)

Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 22 Jun 2021

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Carroll D, Bell D, Haouimi A, A-line (ultrasound). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 18 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-63388

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-63388

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/63388

rID:

63388

Article created:

30 Sep 2018, David Carroll ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created David Carroll had no recorded disclosures.

View David Carroll's current disclosures

Last revised:

22 Jun 2021, Daniel J Bell ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.

View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures

Revisions:

3 times, by 3 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Chest

Sections:

Signs

Tags:

pocus, lung, ultrasound

Synonyms:

A line (US artifact)
A lines (US artifact)

An A-line is an ultrasonographic artifact appreciated during the insonation of an aerated lung. ¹

The term may be applied to the horizontal, echogenic long path reverberation artifacts that occur beneath the pleural line at multiples of the distance between the ultrasound probe and the visceral-parietal pleural interface which appear to fatigue as a function of depth. The artifact is hypothesized to result from sound reflecting between two parallel, closely apposed reflective surfaces ².