11/10/2014 Imaging of the patient with chronic bronchitis: an overview of old and new signs - Springer

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La radiologia medica
August 2006, Volume 111, Issue 5, pp 634-639
Date: 29 Jun 2006

Imaging of the patient with chronic bronchitis: an overview of

old and new signs
Abstract
Up to now, neither chest radiograph nor highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) has much to
offer to the diagnosis of patients with chronic bronchitis (CB). A lot of HRCT findings can be observed,
but they cannot be regarded as specific for pure CB. Their evaluation is often subjective, and
measurements are poorly reproducible. In order to better characterise the HRCT features of CB, further
efforts are warranted. The finding of bronchial wall thickening may even be considered nonsensitive as
well as nonspecific. CB should not only be equated with narrowing of the airway since thickness of the
bronchial wall may vary among different stages of development. Small pits can often be detected along
the inner surfaces of the large bronchi in patients with CB using volumetric thinsection CT. Sometimes,
multiple pits give rise to the accordionlike appearance that was described using bronchography. In our
experience, they often occur in patients with longlasting CB. A better comprehension of the large
airways abnormalities is important because it is likely that the same pathophysiologic process that causes
smallairway obstruction also takes place in larger airways, where it has less functional effect.

Citations

Societ Italiana di Radiologia Medica

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11547-006-0061-0 1/4
11/10/2014 Imaging of the patient with chronic bronchitis: an overview of old and new signs - Springer

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About this Article

Title
Imaging of the patient with chronic bronchitis: an overview of old and new signs
Journal
La radiologia medica
Volume 111, Issue 5 , pp 634-639

Cover Date
2006-08-01
DOI
10.1007/s11547-006-0061-0
Print ISSN
0033-8362
Online ISSN
1826-6983
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
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Topics

Imaging / Radiology

Diagnostic Radiology

Interventional Radiology

Neuroradiology

Ultrasound

Keywords

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11547-006-0061-0 2/4
11/10/2014 Imaging of the patient with chronic bronchitis: an overview of old and new signs - Springer

Smoking

Emphysema

Industry Sectors

Biotechnology

Health & Hospitals

Pharma

Authors

M. Zompatori (1) (4)

N. Sverzellati (1)

T. Gentile (1)

L. Spaggiari (1)

T. Laporta (2)

L. Fecci (3)

Author Affiliations

1. Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Sezione di Diagnostica per Immagini, Universit

di Parma, Parma, Italy

4. Sezione di Diagnostica per Immagini, Padiglione Barbieri, Ospedale Maggiore di

Parma, Via Gramsci 14, I-43100, Parma, Italy

2. Radiologia Canini, Policlinico S. OrsolaMalpighi, Bologna, Italy

3. UO Pneumologia e Endoscopia Toracica, Azienda Ospedaliera di Parma, Parma,

Italy

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