title: Role of virtual bronchoscopy in the evaluation of bronchial lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Virtual bronchoscopy (VB) is a type of 3-dimensional reconstruction in which the observation point is placed within the airway to produce an endoscopiclike view.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic role of VB in the diagnosis of tracheobronchial lesions, as compared to fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with tracheobronchial lesions were enrolled (30 patients with bronchogenic carcinomas and 20 patients with tracheobronchial inflammatory lesions).
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were examined using VB and FOB. Virtual bronchoscopic studies were calculated and reconstructed from cross-sectional images obtained from spiral computed tomographic examination of the chest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Virtual bronchoscopy provided an excellent overview of the trachea, main stem, and lobar bronchi up to the fourth order. The data obtained by VB and FOB (signs of tumor infiltration including endobronchial mass, stenosis, obstruction, and external indentations) were comparable. However, FOB had the advantage of giving direct cues to color, vascularity, and motility. It also detected early tumor infiltration by picking up subtle mucosal changes. Alternatively, VB was superior in bypassing any obstruction and therefore provided an excellent view distal to the obstructive lesions or stenotic segments. Virtual bronchoscopy also defined the optimum pathway for passing instruments into lesions beyond the field of view.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, we compared the diagnostic capacities of both VB and FOB. The interventional and therapeutic ramifications of our findings await further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radio-diagnosis, Al-Azhar University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed Fawzi Mohamed Awad
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Allah
authors.forename: Saad Rezk Abdulwahed
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: Abou Bakre Helal
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: El-Asmar
authors.forename: Hamdy Mohamed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zoair
authors.forename: Ghanim Abdel-Latif
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Abdel-Monem El-Shabrawy
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Metwaly
authors.forename: Mohamed Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: Ibrahim M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Shalan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001995:Bronchography / Q000379:methods*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014584:User-Computer Interface