Abstract: As a part of lung ultrasound, pleural ultrasound is a simple, efficient, important, and effective tool in the assessment and monitoring of respiratory diseases. Routine techniques include static and dynamic assessment of the pleura, such as pleural morphology, thickness, motion, subpleural changes, and pleural effusion, which are closely related to the pathophysiology of various respiratory diseases. Therefore, different respiratory diseases show different pleural changes, which can help us to quickly differentiate between diseases such as pulmonary edema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, and interstitial fibrosis. Pleural ultrasound demonstrates unique advantages in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of pleural effusion and peripheral lung occupations. New ultrasound technologies such as speckle tracking technology, ultrasonography, elastography, and the application of deep learning algorithms have brought pleural ultrasound into a new phase. With the advancement of technology, pleural ultrasound demonstrates great potential for application, especially artificial intelligence (AI) recognition of dynamic signs, 3D models calculation of pleural effusion volume, AI recognition of peripheral lung nodules, and qualitative diagnosis, which may provide clinical information and change the diagnostic and treatment modes more efficiently. In this review, the status and future development of pleural ultrasound application in respiratory diseases are discussed.

Key words: ultrasound, pleura, respiratory diseases