HELICAL CT IMAGING OF BRONCHIAL ARTERIES WITH CURVED REFORMATION TECHNIQUE IN COMPARISON WITH SELECTIVE BRONCHIAL ARTERIOGRAPHY - PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Purpose: Our goal was to evaluate the ability of helical CT to identif y and demonstrate the origins and courses of bronchial arteries, using the curved reformation technique, in patients undergoing bronchial ar terial interventional procedures. Methods: Thin section helical CT was performed on seven patients before bronchial arterial interventional procedures. The curved reformation technique was used to demonstrate t he origins and continuous vessel tracing of bronchial arteries and com pared with bronchial arteriographic findings. Results: In all, 16 bron chial arteries were evaluated, 8 on the right and 8 on the left. The o rigins of 12 bronchial arteries were identified. In the demonstration of tracing vessels, seven right bronchial arteries and three left were classified as excellent or fair. Conclusion: Helical CT imaging with the curved reformation technique is helpful in identifying bronchial a rteries, especially on the right, in patients with indications for bro nchial arterial interventional procedures.