Quantitative CT Imaging of Chronic Airway Diseases
摘要
Chronic airway diseases are associated with morphological changes involving all three parts of the lung, namely the bronchi, parenchyma and pulmonary vessels. In vivo imaging, with its ability to describe the different types of lung alterations and their regional distribution, can help to elucidate the relationship between lung structure and respiratory function. High-resolution computed tomography (CT) of the lung is the imaging modality of choice for assessing the pathological changes associated with airflow obstruction occurring in chronic airway diseases. Over the last few decades, numerous studies have demonstrated the role of CT as a morphological and functional method conducive to the phenotyping of airway diseases. This chapter aims to examine the data on CT imaging of airway diseases with a critical approach to recent data and to determine the extent to which CT could be integrated into the care of patients with this/these disease(s).