Abstract

SPINA (H), Juan Carlos et al. Abnormal air-filled spaces in the lung with HRCT. Rev. argent. radiol. [online]. 2008, vol.72, n.2, pp.199-215. ISSN 1852-9992.

Objetive: The purpose of this paper is to review and give some clues for the diagnosis of the many entities that present as abnormal air spaces at HRCT. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the archives of HRCT of our institution with diagnosis of different entities that presented with abnormal air spaces. In all cases we evaluated the location, number (unique o multiple), parietal thickness and concomitant compromise of parenchyma or mediastinum and we clustered them by their association with different illness. Results: Considering the characteristics in HRCT we grouped the abnormal air spaces in: infectious process (tuberculosis, Pneumocistis jiroveci pneumonia, aspergillosis, hydatidosis, cavitated pneumonia, lung abscess and pneumatocele; entities that present with bronchiectasias (cystic fibrosis, Kartagener syndrome, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis), pulmonary vasculitis (Wegener granulomatosis and rheumatoid arthritis); emphysema; metastasis, primary tumors (epidermoid carcinoma and bronchioalveolar carcinoma) and others (lymphangioleiomyomatosis, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, pulmonary sequestration and cystic adenomatoid malformation) Conclusion: The presence of abnormal air spaces in HRCT is very usual. If we know certain characteristics of them, we could get a provable diagnosis in almost all cases.

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