Journal of thoracic imaging
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Discriminating cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious problem in emergency departments, and the ability of chest radiographs to differentiate between these 2 entities is limited. We compared the chest computed tomography (CT) findings in the acute phase of CPE with those of ARDS. ⋯ Chest CT may be a useful tool for differentiating CPE from ARDS in the emergency department setting.
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Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is rapidly becoming a widely used alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis at high surgical risk. In these patients, TAVR has been associated with markedly improved survival and relief from symptoms. Despite a very-high risk patient profile, recent multicenter registries have confirmed the safety and efficacy of this procedure. ⋯ Compared with 2-dimensional imaging techniques, computed tomography (CT) has been proven to provide comprehensive information on AA anatomy and geometry, supporting appropriate patient selection and prosthesis sizing. In addition, CT is gaining an increasing role in evaluating the vascular access route before the procedure. This article describes the rapidly emerging role of CT in the context of pre-TAVR assessment.
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Lung involvement in cystic fibrosis (CF) disease continues to be a major life-limiting factor of this autosomal recessive genetic disorder. Efforts made toward early diagnosis and advances in therapy have led to sustained survival of affected patients, and many are now of adult age. Because imaging provides detailed information on regional distribution of CF lung disease, repetitive imaging is required for severity assessment and therapy monitoring not only in clinical routine but also for interventional trials. ⋯ Comprehensive functional lung imaging (imaging of respiratory mechanics, ventilation, and lung perfusion) provides valuable additional information that cannot or can hardly be obtained by any other single diagnostic procedure. The present review article strives to present the current state of lung MRI in CF, as well as its future perspectives. Functional MRI of the CF lung is at the threshold of being considered a routine application, which, supporting early diagnosis, may help to further improve the survival of CF patients.
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To evaluate the fully automatic quantification of airway dimensions on chest multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) performed in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Airflow indices including predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%) were used to study the impact on regional lung function. ⋯ Automatic airway analysis succeeded in quantifying specific pathologies such as airway dilatation and wall thickening in CF patients at different ages. Moreover, our results indicate a shift in main airflow resistance to intermediate airways in cases of chronic CF. The objective computational parameters TD, LA, and WT should be considered for assessment and follow-up of CF airway disease.
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To determine the best radiographic landmark for the cavoatrial junction (CAJ) using electrocardiographic-gated, 64-row multidetector coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA). ⋯ The intersection of the bronchus intermedius with the right heart border and the inflection of the right heart border are the closest radiographic landmarks to the CAJ. When these landmarks are not identifiable, the most uniformly visible radiographic landmark is the carina.