Lung transplant patients may benefit from 64-slice CT scans

March 4, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Lung transplant patients may benefit from 64-slice CT scans State-of-the-art units can show subtle changes to lung parenchyma that are not apparent on conventional radiographs or respiratory tests Settimo Caruso, M.D., and Roberto Miraglia, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lung transplantation is an accepted treatment option for patients with end-stage lung disease. The procedure can increase quality of life and prolong survival. Single-lung transplants are performed more frequently than bilateral procedures, which increases the number of transplant recipients, given the shortage of suitable donors.1,2 Complications occur frequently, however, significantly reducing the success of grafts and patients’ survival time.3 Access to state-of-the-art technology can give radiologists a key role in diagnosing early and delayed complications during post-transplant follow-up.4-8 The high temporal and spatial resolution possible with 64-slice CT provides practitioners with optimal information on lung parenchyma. Compared with previous generation CT scanners, these systems have a shorter acquisition time and deliver a lower radiation dose to patients. Three-D reconstruction and/or virtual navigation inside the bronchial tree can be performed easily. The use of intravenous contrast together with 3D reconstruction can provide additional information on pulmonary vessel disease.

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