Value of volumetric data acquisition in expiratory high-resolution computed tomography of the lung.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the potential advantages of volumetric expiratory high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) over noncontiguous expiratory HRCT in visualizing the airway conducting to the areas of air trapping and in providing additional significant information in patients with diffuse lung disease with small airway abnormalities.

Methods: Forty-one consecutive patients with suspected diffuse lung diseases with airway abnormalities who underwent volumetric expiratory HRCT scans from April to June 2003 were studied. Respiratory motion artifacts were evaluated at 3 anatomic levels (aortic arch, carina, and lung bases).

Coronal reformations of volumetric expiratory high-resolution CT of the lung.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the quality of coronal reformatted images obtained from volumetric expiratory high-resolution CT imaging and to compare coronal and axial images with regard to their usefulness in detecting and characterizing air trapping. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. We studied 40 consecutive patients with known or suspected diffuse lung diseases with airway abnormalities who underwent volumetric expiratory high-resolution CT between May and July 2003.