Sonographic findings of hydropneumothorax

Ultrasound is increasingly being used in examination of the thorax. The sonographic features of normal aerated lung, abnormal lung, pneumothorax, and intrapleural fluid have been published. The sonographic features of uncommon intrathoracic syndromes are less known. Hydropneumothorax is an uncommon process in which the thoracic cavity contains both intrapleural air and water. Few published examples of the sonographic findings in hydropneumothorax exist. We present 3 illustrative cases of the sonographic features of hydropneumothorax with comparative imaging and a literature review of the topic.