PERIBRONCHOVASCULAR INTERSTITIUM OF THE PULMONARY HILUM - NORMAL AND ABNOVMAL FINDINGS ON THIN-SECTION ELECTRON-BEAM CT

The peribronchovascular interstitium, including bronchial vessels and lymphatic channels, is an important anatomic component of the lung, es pecially the pulmonary hilum [1-3] (Fig, 1), Various pathologic proces ses involve and spread along this interstitium [4, 5], Although it has been difficult to accurately evaluate the morphologic changes occurri ng in the peribronchovascular interstitium with conventional CT or MR imaging [6], spiral CT and electron-beam CT can show these changes cle arly and consistently [7, 8], A judgment as to whether the peribroncho vascular interstitium is normal or abnormal is necessary for the CT di agnosis of pulmonary hilar lesions. In this essay, the normal peribron chovascular interstitium and various pathologic processes involving th is interstitium are shown as they appear on thin-section electron-beam CT scans.