HYPERTROPHIED BRONCHIAL ARTERY AT THIN-SECTION CT IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIECTASIS - CORRELATION WITH CT ANGIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

PURPOSE: To evaluate hypertrophied bronchialarteries on thin-section c omputed tomographic (CT) scans in patients with bronchiectasis by usin g CT angiographic correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spiral Ct angiog raphy was performed prospectively in 14 patients (eight men, six women ; age range, 34-71 years) with bronchiectasis who were suspecgted of h aving bronchial artery hypertrophy at thin-section CT (peformed withou t contrast medium). The inclusion criteria were tubular (in six patien s) or nodular (in 14 patients) areas of soft-tissue attenuation that h ad an appearance unlke that of lymph nodes at thin-section CT and that were within the mediastinum and around the central airway. These find ings were subsequently correlated with the spiral CT angiographic find ings. RESULTS: At coomparative analysis of thin-section CT scans and C t angiograms, seven of the eight (88%) tubular lesions and 19 of the 3 6 (53%) nodular lesions in the mediastina soft tissue were proved to b e hypertrophied bronchial arteries. All of the six 9100%) tubular and 19 of the 21 (90%) nodular lelsions around the walls of the main (prim ary) an dlobar bronchi were hypertrophied bronchial arteries. In eight (57%) patients, Ct angiograms showed 11 intraluminal protrusion scaus ed by hypertopied bronchial arteries in the main bronchi, lobar bronch i, or both. CONCLUSION: Nodular and tubular structures in the mediasti num and around the central airway on thin-section CT scans in the pati ents with bronchiectasis are suggestive of hypertrophied bronchial art eries. Recognition of the hypertrophied bronchial artery can be critic al for the bronchoscopist.