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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Asthma CT

Introduction

Overview

Overview

In asthmatics, high-resolution CT may reveal several structural changes related to small-airway disease including cylindrical bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, and air trapping.[1] CT markers valid for small-airway disease can be derived from quantitative lung density measurements and these markers correlate with clinical severity, lung function test results and are also sensitive to demonstrate therapeutic effects.[2] An FEV1/FVC ratio of 75% or more has been shown to be an important predictor of bronchial wall thickening and bronchiectasis; but has a low discriminatory utility for patients without structural airway changes (sensitivity, 67%; specificity, 65%). Thereby, suggesting the importance of radiological assessment of bronchial wall changes in patients with severe asthma.[3]

CT

CT

  • Bronchial wall thickening,[4][5][6]
  • Patients with mild asthma have one or more dilated bronchi,[5][6]
  • Cylindrical bronchiectasis with the bronchoarterial- diameter ratio is less than 1.5,[7]
  • Bronchiolar mucus statis and constrictive bronchiolitis,
  • Centrilobular opacities subsequent to bronchiolar mucus stasis or peri- bronchiolar inflammation,
  • Areas of decreased attenuation and vascularity, as demonstrated at end-inspiration,
  • Air trapping, as demonstrated after maximal expiration.
References

References

  1. ↑ Robards VL, Lubin EN, Medlock TR (1975) Renal transplantation and placement of ileal stoma. Urology 5 (6):787-9. PMID: 1094668
  2. ↑ Laurent F, Tunon de Lara M (2011) Assessment of imaging techniques for evaluating small-airway disease in asthma. Rev Mal Respir 28 (6):e7-10. DOI:10.1016/j.rmr.2011.05.001 PMID: 21742230
  3. ↑ Gupta S, Siddiqui S, Haldar P, Raj JV, Entwisle JJ, Wardlaw AJ et al. (2009) Qualitative analysis of high-resolution CT scans in severe asthma. Chest 136 (6):1521-8. DOI:10.1378/chest.09-0174 PMID: 19542254
  4. ↑ Lynch DA, Newell JD, Tschomper BA, Cink TM, Newman LS, Bethel R (1993) Uncomplicated asthma in adults: comparison of CT appearance of the lungs in asthmatic and healthy subjects. Radiology 188 (3):829-33. PMID: 8351357
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Grenier P, Mourey-Gerosa I, Benali K, Brauner MW, Leung AN, Lenoir S et al. (1996) Abnormalities of the airways and lung parenchyma in asthmatics: CT observations in 50 patients and inter- and intraobserver variability. Eur Radiol 6 (2):199-206. PMID: 8797980
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Park CS, Müller NL, Worthy SA, Kim JS, Awadh N, Fitzgerald M (1997) Airway obstruction in asthmatic and healthy individuals: inspiratory and expiratory thin-section CT findings. Radiology 203 (2):361-7. PMID: 9114089
  7. ↑ Mitchell TA, Hamilos DL, Lynch DA, Newell JD (2000) Distribution and severity of bronchiectasis in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). J Asthma 37 (1):65-72. PMID: 10724299

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S. [2]