Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Observational, Not applicable, Infection, Connective tissue disorders, Atelectasis, Structured reporting, Observer performance, Comparative studies, Image manipulation / Reconstruction, CT-High Resolution, CT, Thorax, Respiratory system, Lung, Chest
Authors:
U. S. Umer, S. Alam, S. Gul, S. Ghulam ghaus, A. Nawaz Khan, H. Abid, S. Iqbal, K. Nawab; Peshawar/PK
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2020/C-05643
Conclusion
- HRCT images can accurately identify thickened airway walls, plugged small airways and air trapping. HRCT plays instrumental role in characterization and detection of small airway diseases which, until relatively recently, had been regarded as being beyond the scope of radiological imaging.
- HRCT images with mosaic attenuation areas should be paired with expiratory scans for early disease detection and to prevent irreversible lung damage.
The diagnosis of air trapping is more confidently made when the images are used in conjunction with expiratory images.
- There is improvement in diagnosing mosaic pattern and centrilobular nodules by use of MinIP and MIP respectively.
- The proposed small airway disease classification should be used in everyday reporting to make characterization of disease process easier.
Recommendation:
Paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans should be done when suspecting small airway diseases.