CT of the thorax

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Author: Mikael Häggström [notes 1]

Normal anatomy

High-resolution computed tomographs of a normal thorax, taken in the axial, coronal and sagittal planes, respectively.

Regions

Angiography

CT angiography of the thorax is a contrast CT exam, tailored to the proper contrast phase depending on the level of the suspected condition by the referring clinician:

  • Veins from contrast infusion
  • Pulmonary veins

Basic screening

  • Lung parenchyma: Scan for opacities, preferably at a maximum intensity projection of about 8 mm in order to detect any lung nodules (if found, see CT of lung nodules).[1]
  • Pleura, for any fluid in the dorsal parts
  • Skeleton: Any signs of damage.
  • Lymph nodes in mediastinal, hilar and axial areas. If possibly enlarged, see CT of thoracic lymphadenopathy
  • Visible abdominal volumes for any expansions or focal changes in the liver, adrenals or spleen.

Report

Even absence of:

  • Opacities in the lung parenchyma.
  • Pleural fluid.
See also: General notes on reporting

Diseases

Lungs
Vascular
Lymph nodes

Pulmonary hypertension

The presence of a dilated main pulmonary artery of 29 mm or more in combination with an artery–to-bronchus diameter ratio of 1:1 or more at segmental level in three or four lobes, confers a specificity of 100% for the presence of pulmonary hypertension.[2]

Notes

  1. For a full list of contributors, see article history. Creators of images are attributed at the image description pages, seen by clicking on the images. See Radlines:Authorship for details.

References

  1. Kawel, Nadine; Seifert, Burkhardt; Luetolf, Marcus; Boehm, Thomas (2009). "Effect of Slab Thickness on the CT Detection of Pulmonary Nodules: Use of Sliding Thin-Slab Maximum Intensity Projection and Volume Rendering ". American Journal of Roentgenology 192 (5): 1324–1329. doi:10.2214/AJR.08.1689. ISSN 0361-803X. 
  2. Peña, Elena; Dennie, Carole; Veinot, John; Muñiz, Susana Hernández (2012). "Pulmonary Hypertension: How the Radiologist Can Help ". RadioGraphics 32 (1): 9–32. doi:10.1148/rg.321105232. ISSN 0271-5333.