ObjectiveTo ascertain accurate measurements of, and the relationships between, the normative parameters of the tracheobronchial trees in the Chinese population using multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) and multi-planar reconstruction (MPR).Materials and MethodsMeasurements were performed on 2107 patients who underwent thoracic CT scans in the PLA General Hospital. The lengths of the trachea and the main stem bronchi, and the sizes of the subcarinal angle were obtained through CT or MPR imaging. Multi-variance analyses were performed to detect potential correlations between obtained parameters.ResultsThe mean length of the trachea was 104.9 ± 13.4 mm (107.8 ± 13.2 mm for men and 101.4 ± 12.8 mm for women). The mean lengths of the right and left main stem bronchi were 13.6 ± 4.3 and 48.3 ± 6.5 mm, respectively. The right bronchus angle and the left bronchus angle were 34.9 and 42.5 degrees, respectively. Significant gender differences were found in all the parameters measured except for the angle of the right upper lobe bronchus. There are no statistically significant correlations among these parameters.ConclusionsThe normal reference values and the likely ranges of distribution of the tracheobronchial trees in the Chinese population have been established. Significant gender differences exist in the dimensions of the trachea, with the exception of the Right upper bronchial angle (RUA).

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A 62-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital in 2011 because of recurrent abdominal pain, nausea and constipation for six months. Computed tomography enterography (CTE) showed tortuous thread-like calcifications in the ileocolic vein and right colic vein, while colonoscopy revealed purple-blue mucosa extending from the cecum to the splenic flexure. Based on the results of these tests, the patient was diagnosed with idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis (IMP). She had a history of Chinese medical liquor intake for one and a half years and her symptoms subsided after conservative treatment. In 2013, a 63-year-old male patient who presented with recurrent lower right abdominal pain, bloating, melena and diarrhea for fifteen months was admitted to our institution. Colonoscopy and CTE led to the diagnosis of IMP. He also used Chinese medical liquor for approximately 12 years. The patient underwent total colectomy and the postoperative course was uneventful. We searched for previously published reports on similar cases and analyzed the clinical data of 50 cases identified in PubMed. As some of these patients admitted use of Chinese medicines, we hypothesize that Chinese medicines may play a role in the pathogenesis of IMP.

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