title: Imaging of the central airways with bronchoscopic correlation: pictorial essay.
abstract: A wide variety of pathologic processes, both benign and malignant, affect the central airways. These processes may be classified into 4 distinct groups: anatomic variants, lesions that result in focal or diffuse airway narrowing, and those that result in multinodular airway disorder. Key to the accurate assessment of the central airways is meticulous imaging technique, especially the routine acquisition of contiguous high-resolution, 1-mm to 1.5-mm images. These images enable high-definition axial, coronal, and sagittal reconstructions, as well as advanced imaging techniques, including minimum intensity projection images and virtual bronchoscopy. Current indications most commonly include patients presenting with signs and symptoms of possible central airway obstruction, with or without hemoptysis. In addition to diagnosing airway abnormalities, computed tomography (CT) also serves a critical complementary role to current bronchoscopic techniques for both diagnosing and treating airway lesions. Advantages of CT include noninvasive visualization of the extraluminal extent of lesions, as well as visualization of airways distal to central airways obstructions. As discussed and illustrated later, thorough knowledge of current bronchoscopic approaches to central airway disease is essential for optimal correlative CT interpretation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Center for Biological Imaging, NYU-Langone Medical Center, 660 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA. Electronic address: maria.shiau@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiau
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1232, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Harkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Center for Biological Imaging, NYU-Langone Medical Center, 660 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Naidich
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Bronchoscopy; Central airways; Computed tomography; Imaging