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CT of chest; CT of thorax

Indications: - evaluation of lung disease - multidetector high-resolution CT is the imaging modality of choice for evaluating parenchymal lung disease [1] - interstial lung disease - COPD [5] - evaluation of pleural disease - evaluation of mediastinal disease - evaluation of aortic disease - evaluation of heart disease - coronary artery disease - cardiac masses - pericardial disease - evaluation of esophageal disease Adverse effects: - radiation exposure Special laboratory: - pulmonary function testing for previously undiagnosed COPD Radiology: - coronary artery calcium [5] Notes: - interstitial lung abnormalities in 8% of chest CT scans done 6 years apart - evidence of progression of interstitial lung abnormalities in 30% [4] - evidence of osteoporosis [5] - ratio of pulmonary artery diameter to the aortic diameter in patients with COPD of > 1 suggests pulmonary hypertension [5]

Related

thorax

Specific

CT of heart CT of ribs CT of thoracic aorta low dose lung CT (LDLCT)

General

computerized tomography (CT)

References

  1. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 16, 17. American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2012, 2015
  2. Sarma A, Heilbrun ME, Conner KE et al Radiation and chest CT scan examinations: what do we know? Chest. 2012 Sep;142(3):750-60. Review. PMID: 22948579
  3. Sundaram B, Chughtai AR, Kazerooni EA. Multidetector high-resolution computed tomography of the lungs: protocols and applications. J Thorac Imaging. 2010 May;25(2):125-41. Review. PMID: 20463532
  4. Araki T et al. Development and progression of interstitial lung abnormalities in the Framingham Heart Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016 Dec 15; 194:1514. http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.201512-2523OC - Wells AU, Kokosi MA. Subclinical interstitial lung abnormalities: Toward the early detection of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016 Dec 15; 194:1445. http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/suppl/10.1164/rccm.201607-1363ED
  5. Labali WW, Agusti A, Bhatt SP et al Leveraging Computed Tomography Imaging to Detect Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Concomitant Chronic Diseases. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024 Aug 1;210(3):281-287. PMID: 38843079 PMCID: PMC11348973 (available on 2025-08-01) https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.202402-0407PP