Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Color Doppler imaging has been applied traditionally in the evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. Recently it was observed that color signal may appear within the fluid collection in the pleural space during respiratory and cardiac cycles ("fluid color sign"). We performed this applicability of fluid color sign to the detection of pleural fluid capable of being removed to assess needle aspiration. ⋯ Among the 65 patients with aspiratable fluid, 58 demonstrated positive fluid color sign (sensitivity 89.2%). None of the patients with solid pleural thickening showed fluid color sign (specificity 100%). With its relatively high sensitivity and specificity, the fluid color sign may be a useful diagnostic aid to real-time, gray scale ultrasonography for minimal or loculated effusion.