THIN-SECTION OBLIQUE CT WITH 25-DEGREES CRANIALLY TILTED IMAGES - EVALUATION OF PULMONARY TUMORS ADJACENT TO THE INTERLOBAR FISSURES

Purpose: Thin-section oblique CT with cranially tilted axial scans can provide better visualization of the interlobar fissures than thin-sec tion CT with conventional axial scans. The purpose of this study was t o evaluate the usefulness of oblique CT scans far pulmonary tumors adj acent to the interlobar fissures. Material and Methods: Cranially tilt ed and conventional axial images were obtained by thin-section CT in 1 0 patients with solitary pulmonary tumors adjacent to the interlobar f issures. Conventional CT with a 2-mm collimation and thin-section obli que CT with a 25 degrees cranial tilt were obtained. Results: The imag es obtained by thin-section oblique scanning visualized the relationsh ip between the pulmonary tumor and the interlobar fissures in all 10 p atients, whereas in 6 patients the thin-section conventional images di d not. The pulmonary tumors in these 6 patients included all 5 that we re adjacent to the minor fissures. Conclusion: Thin-section oblique CT may be more useful than thin-section conventional CT in evaluating th e relationship between pulmonary tumors and the minor fissures.