Thin-section CT in obstructive pulmonary disease: discriminatory value.

Purpose: To use thin-section computed tomography (CT) to distinguish between causes of obstructive pulmonary disease, to determine which distinctions give rise to diagnostic imprecision, and to identify the most useful CT features.

Materials And Methods: Thin-section CT scans of 105 patients with obstructive pulmonary disease (asthma, n = 35; centrilobular emphysema, n = 30; panlobular emphysema, n = 21; and obliterative bronchiolitis, n = 19) and 33 healthy subjects were assessed independently by two observers. The most likely diagnosis and a confidence rating were assigned.