Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a respiratory muscle dysfunction model. The diaphragm is the primary respiratory muscle, and its evaluation is essential in assessing cases with COPD. Ultrasound (US) may evaluate diaphragmatic excursion and thickness. Objective Ultrasonographic evaluation of the diaphragm in cases that had COPD and examining its association with spiromertric variables. Patients and methods This case-control research performed: 40 cases of clinically stable COPD ( Stable COPD indicates to COPD in cases who are not presently undergoing an exacerbation of their illness. Nevertheless, these cases can have recently undergone exacerbations followed by recovery to a new baseline or having COPD symptoms of different severity .) and 10 healthy controls. All participants have, radiography of chest, clinical investigation, detailed history taking, spirometry assessment of forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), FVC, FEV1, and maximum voluntary ventilation percentage of predicted, and US investigation to calculate thickness of diaphragm (TD) at various lung volumes and excursion, and capacities. Results The thickness of the diaphragm at various lung capacities and volumes (total lung capacity, functional residual capacity, and residual volume) assessed by US has been found to decrease progressively with increasing severity of COPD. Diaphragm thickness has been significantly reduced in cases of COPD compared with controls. A highly statistically significant variance among cases had COPD and controls according to FEV1, FEV1/FVC and a statistically significant variance among two groups according to FVC% of predicted have been observed. There was a highly statistically significant variance between cases had COPD with various degrees of severity according to TD (TDFRC, TDTLC, and TDRV), and diaphragmatic excursion. Conclusion US is a simple, reliable, and noninvasive technique that can be used to assess diaphragmatic kinetics and function, including excursion and thickness. There is a negative correlation between diaphragmatic function, as measured by US, and the severity of COPD.
Elias et al. (Thu,) studied this question.