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Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate left atrial (LA) volume in smokers according to the severity of emphysema, with the objective of providing indirect evidence of reduced pulmonary venous return due to capillary destruction. Materials and methods A total of 121 smokers underwent a high-pitch and high-temporal resolution computed tomography (CT) angiographic examination, enabling quantification of emphysema, total lung volume, and LA volume measurements normalized to body surface area. Results The CT phenotypes were as follows: emphysema predominant (group 1; n=57); airway predominant (group 2; n=30); a mixed pattern of emphysema and airway disease (group 3; n=15); and absence of bronchopulmonary CT abnormalities (group 4; n=19). A negative correlation was found between the indexed LA volume and the percentage of emphysema: (a) in the overall study group (P=0.032; r=-0.19); (b) in group 1 (P=0.0163; r=-0.32); and (c) in groups 1 and 3 when analyzed together (P=0.0492; r=-0.23). A negative correlation was found between the indexed LA volume and the total lung volume in the overall study group (P=0.039; r=-0.19) and in group 1 (P=0.048; r=-0.26), whereas no correlations were found in group 2 (P=0.44; r=-0.15), group 3 (P=0.52; r=-0.17), and groups 1 and 3 analyzed as a whole (P=0.14; r=-0.17). Conclusions The indexed LA volume, impacting left ventricular preload, is correlated to the severity of emphysema.

Before introducing 70-kVp settings in the low-kilovoltage strategies for pediatric examinations, it was mandatory to demonstrate, at similar dose levels, an equivalence of image quality at 70 kVp and 80 kVp. To assess image quality of chest CT examinations acquired at 70 kVp in comparison with standard scanning at 80 kVp. We prospectively evaluated 129 children with a 70-kVp scanning protocol (group 1). All scanning parameters were kept similar to those usually selected for pediatric standard 80-kVp protocols, except the milliamperage increased by a factor of 1.6 to maintain comparable radiation dose. Image quality of group 1 examinations was compared to that of a paired population scanned at 80 kVp (group 2). The noninferiority hypothesis was fixed at 10% of the mean level of image noise. There was no significant difference in the mean dose length product (DLP) and the volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) between the groups (DLP: 20.5 ± 5.8 mGy.cm [group 1] vs. 19.7 ± 7.6 mGy.cm [group 2]; P = 0.06) (CTDIvol: 0.8 ± 0.1 mGy [group 1] vs. 0.8 ± 0.18 mGy [group 2]; P = 0.94). The mean of differences in image noise between group 1 and group 2 examinations was −1.38 (−2.59; −0.18), verifying the noninferiority hypothesis. Subjective image quality did not significantly differ between group 1 and group 2 examinations (P = 0.18). At equivalent radiation dose levels, 70-kVp protocols provide similar image quality to that achievable at 80 kVp.

Before the advent of fast-scanning multidetector-row computed tomography (CT) technology, thoracic CT studies were exclusively used for the morphologic assessment of thoracic organs, as the concurrent examination of the heart was hampered by image degradation from cardiac motion artifacts. The introduction of fast rotation speed and dedicated cardiac reconstruction algorithms has opened new possibilities for chest imaging, starting with the possibility to integrate cardiac morphologic and functional information into a diagnostic CT scan of the chest. Initiated with 16-slice multidetector-row CT, this concept of integrating morphology and function has been further simplified with 64-slice CT scanners, thus allowing radiologists to provide vital information in the management of patients with a wide variety of acute or chronic respiratory disorders. Because this CT technology offers the possibility of generating high-resolution and motion-free images of the coronary arteries, evaluation of the coronary arteries during CT examinations of the chest should further widen the clinical applications of CT for respiratory patients, keeping in mind that cigarette smoking is a shared risk factor for both impaired lung function and cardiovascular events. The recent advent of high temporal resolution and high pitch modes with dual-source CT simplifies the concept of integrated cardiothoracic imaging, introducing non-electrocardiographic-gated coronary artery imaging. The purpose of this article is to review the successive approaches of these redefined borders of thoracic imaging.

To determine whether CT can depict early perfusion changes in lung cancer treated by anti-angiogenic drugs, allowing prediction of response. Patients with non-small cell lung cancer, treated by conventional chemotherapy with (Group 1; n = 17) or without (Group 2; n = 23) anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drug (bevacizumab) underwent CT perfusion before (TIME 0) and after 1 (TIME 1), 3 (TIME 2) and 6 (TIME 3) cycles of chemotherapy. The CT parameters evaluated included: (1) total tumour vascular volume (TVV) and total tumour extravascular flow (TEF); (2) RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours) measurements. Tumour response was also assessed on the basis of the clinicians’ overall evaluation. In Group 1, significant reduction in perfusion was identified between baseline and: (1) TIME 1 (TVV, P = 0.0395; TEF, P = 0.015); (2) TIME 2 (TVV, P = 0.0043; TEF, P

To evaluate whether dual-energy CT angiography (DE-CTA) could identify links between morphologic and functional abnormalities in chronic pulmonary thromboembolism (CPTE).Seventeen consecutive patients with CPTE without underlying cardio-respiratory disease were investigated with DE-CTA. Two series of images were generated: (a) transverse diagnostic scans (i.e., contiguous 1-mm thick averaged images from both tubes), and (b) perfusion scans (i.e., images of the iodine content within the microcirculation; 4-mm thick MIPs). Two radiologists evaluated by consensus the presence of: (a) pulmonary vascular features of CPTE and abnormally dilated systemic arteries on diagnostic CT scans, and (b) perfusion defects of embolic type on perfusion scans.Diagnostic examinations showed a total of 166 pulmonary arteries (166/833; 19.9%) with features of CPTE, more frequent at the level of peripheral than central arteries (8.94 vs 0.82; p0.0001), including severe stenosis with partial (97/166; 58.4%) or complete (20/166; 12.0%) obstruction, webs and bands (37/166; 22.3%), partial filling defects without stenosis (7/166; 4.2%), focal stenosis (4/166; 2.4%) and abrupt vessel narrowing (1/166; 0.6%). Perfusion examinations showed 39 perfusion defects in 8 patients (median number: 4.9; range: 1-11). The most severe pulmonary arterial features of CPTE were seen with a significantly higher frequency in segments with perfusion defects than in segments with normal perfusion (p0.0001). Enlarged systemic arteries were observed with a significantly higher frequency ipsilateral to lungs with perfusion defects (9/12; 75%) compared with lungs without perfusion defects (5/22; 22.7%) (p=0.004).Dual-energy CTA demonstrates links between the severity of pulmonary arterial obstruction and perfusion impairment, influenced by the degree of development of the systemic collateral supply.