Prospective Assessment of Diaphragmatic Mobility by Ultrasound in Dyspneic Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease Subtypes

Dyspnea is the predominant symptom in interstitial lung disease (ILD) but is only partly explained by lung volumes and diffusing capacity. Respiratory muscle dysfunction, particularly of the diaphragm, may contribute to breathlessness, yet diaphragmatic function has been less extensively characterized in ILD than in other chronic respiratory diseases. We aimed to evaluate diaphragmatic mobility by ultrasound in dyspneic ILD patients and examine its relationship with dyspnea severity, pulmonary function, and high‑resolution computed tomography (HRCT) fibrosis scores.