Computer-aided tomography in stenoses and other diseases of the trachea and main bronchi

Fifty-one patients with stenosis of the upper portion of the tracheobronchial tree of various origin were examined; the sensitivity of computer-aided tomography (CAT) in the diagnosis of stenoses of the trachea and the main bronchi was found to be 95.83 per cent, specificity 98.31 per cent, and accuracy 93.87 per cent. CAT is superior to other methods of investigation (common tomography, tracheobronchoscopy) in the detection of changes in the tracheobronchial walls and the tissues adjacent to the trachea and the main bronchi. CAT is particularly valuable for the diagnosis of the causes of compression stenosis. The method permits specification and recognition of the type of involvement in traumatic injuries (6 cases), tracheoesophageal fistulae (6 cases), posttuberculous processes (3 cases). CAT examinations are truly valuable in the diagnosis of osteoplastic tracheobronchopathy (3 cases), some other rare diseases (tracheobronchomegalia - 1 case, scleroma - 1 case, amyloidosis - 2 cases). The authors recommend the optimal algorithm of examinations: roentgenoscopy - roentgenography - CAT - tracheobronchoscopy.