Hypertrophied bronchial artery at thin-section CT in patients with bronchiectasis: correlation with CT angiographic findings.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate hypertrophied bronchial arteries on thin-section computed tomographic (CT) scans in patients with bronchiectasis by using CT angiographic correlation.


METHODS
Spiral CT angiography was performed prospectively in 14 patients (eight men, six women; age range, 34-71 years) with bronchiectasis who were suspected of having bronchial arterial hypertrophy at thin-section CT (performed without contrast medium). The inclusion criteria were tubular (in six patients) or nodular (in 14 patients) areas of soft-tissue attenuation that had an appearance unlike that of lymph nodes at thin-section CT and that were within the mediastinum and around the central airway. These findings were subsequently correlated with the spiral CT angiographic findings.


RESULTS
At comparative analysis of thin-section CT scans and CT angiograms, seven of the eight (88%) tubular lesions and 19 of the 36 (53%) nodular lesions in the mediastinal soft tissue were proved to be hypertrophied bronchial arteries. All of the six (100%) tubular and 19 of the 21 (90%) nodular lesions around the walls of the main (primary) and lobar bronchi were hypertrophied bronchial arteries. In eight (57%) patients, CT angiograms showed 11 intraluminal protrusions caused by hypertrophied bronchial arteries in the main bronchi, lobar bronchi, or both.


CONCLUSIONS
Nodular and tubular structures in the mediastinum and around the central airway on thin-section CT scans in the patients with bronchiectasis are suggestive of hypertrophied bronchial arteries. Recognition of the hypertrophied bronchial artery can be critical for the bronchoscopist.
Song
J W
JW
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, South Korea.
Im
J G
JG
Shim
Y S
YS
Park
J H
JH
Yeon
K M
KM
Han
M C
MC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000098:blood supply; D001981:Bronchial Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001995:Bronchography; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014132:Trachea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging