SPIRAL CT FINDINGS IN A CASE OF PULMONARY SEQUESTRATION

Pulmonary sequestration has always been diagnosed by direct demonstrat ion of the vessels tributary to the lesion, usually by angiography. Co nventional CT can identify the arterial supply in only two thirds of c ases. We report a case of pulmonary sequestration diagnosed using Spir al CT, based on the demonstration of both arterial supply and venous d rainage. The capabilities of Spiral CT to detect subtle vessel abnorma lities and to yield reliable multiplanar imaging enabled us to show th e whole course of both the artery and the vein tributary to the lesion . Axial images were the most useful ones to diagnose pulmonary sequest ration; 2D and 3D reconstructions were useful for a detailed and immed iate spatial depiction of the parenchymal abnormality and of its vascu lar pedicle.