Virtual bronchoscopy with perfluoronated hydrocarbon enhancement.
OBJECTIVE
Bronchoscopic computed tomography (CT) is limited by machine resolution and air-soft-tissue contrast. The objective of this study was to determine whether improving the contrast by using the contrast agent perflubron (PFOB) in the lung would improve the bronchoscopic CT technique and permit visualization of small airways.


METHODS
Bronchoscopic CT was performed in an anesthetized 8-week-old New Zealand white rabbit before and after the endotracheal administration of PFOB.


RESULTS
Bronchoscopic CT performed with PFOB permitted navigation of bronchi as small as 0.8 mm in diameter, which are much smaller than those that can be navigated without PFOB.


CONCLUSIONS
In this example, the use of perfluorochemicals with bronchoscopic CT enhanced the capabilities of virtual bronchoscopy.
Milestone
B N
BN
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
Miller
T
T
Wolfson
M R
MR
Stern
R G
RG
Shaffer
T H
TH
D000818:Animals; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006801:Humans; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D007089:Image Enhancement; D011817:Rabbits; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014584:User-Computer Interface
D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; C003072:perflubron