What do Kerley B lines indicate?
Kerley B lines (arrows) are horizontal lines in the lung periphery that extend to the pleural surface. They denote thickened, edematous interlobular septa often due to pulmonary edema.
What are Kerley A and Kerley B lines?
(A) Lines several inches long, rather ragged and radiating from the hilum. They do not bifurcate and they do not follow the normal branching pattern of bronchi and vessels. (B) Short, sharp lines seen only at the bases, usually less than an inch long and running transversely out to touch the pleural margin.
Which disease is Kerley B line most common in?
Edema first spreads through the bronchovascular interstitium and later through the septal interstitium, but Kerley B lines are an infrequent observation in patients with congestive heart failure. Kerley lines are most often seen in patients with chronic or recurrent heart failure.
When do we see Kerley B lines?
Septal lines, also known as Kerley lines, are seen when the interlobular septa in the pulmonary interstitium become prominent. This may be because of lymphatic engorgement or edema of the connective tissues of the interlobular septa. They usually occur when pulmonary capillary wedge pressure reaches 20-25 mmHg.
Are B lines normal?
A few B-lines (<3/field of view) can often be found under normal circumstances, especially in the elderly, and around the base of the lungs 4.
What is Kerley lines on CXR?
Kerley A lines They represent thickening of the interlobular septa that contain lymphatic connections between the perivenous and bronchoarterial lymphatics deep within the lung parenchyma. On chest radiographs they are seen to cross normal vascular markings and extend radially from the hilum to the upper lobes.
Where are Kerley B lines located?
Kerley’s B lines (white arrowheads) are short horizontal lines situated perpendicularly to the pleural surface at the lung base; they represent edema of the interlobular septa.
What is central pulmonary vascular congestion?
Pulmonary congestion is defined as accumulation of fluid in the lungs, resulting in impaired gas exchange and arterial hypoxemia. It occurs sequentially, first developing in the hilar region of the lungs, followed by filling of the interstitial space and finally, in its most severe form, by alveolar flooding.
Why are B lines called B lines?
The reflection of the beam creates some comet-tail reverberation artifacts, called B-lines or ultrasound lung comets. A B-line is a discrete, laser-like, vertical, hyperechoic image, that arises from the pleural line, extends to the bottom of the screen without fading, and moves synchronously with respiration.