The computed tomographic appearance of the adrenal gland was studied in 302 patients with possible endocrinologic disease and 107 patients undergoing CT for nonendocrinologic reasons. Measurements of adrenal size were also made in 100 adults with no known adrenal pathology. CT proved to be a sensitive diagnostic tool in combination with clinical studies. When blood hormone levels are increased, CT can differentiate among homogeneous organic hyperplasia, nodular hyperplasia, benign adenoma, and malignant cortical adenoma. When blood hormone levels are decreased, CT can demonstrate hypoplasia or metastatic tumorous destruction. Calcifications or caseations can be demonstrated earlier than on plain radiographs. When hormone elimination is increased, the morphologic substrate can be identified; tumorous changes can be localized and infiltration of surrounding organs recognized.

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Two hundred fifty patients who had 240 pathological changes of the lungs or mediastinum were examined using both scanned projection radiography (SPR) and standard film radiography, and the diagnostic accuracy of the procedures was compared. The use of standard film radiography led to diagnostic findings in 90.1% of the cases, while 94% of the images obtained at SPR provided diagnostic findings. The equivalent performance and, in part, the slight superiority obtained with the digital technique is a result of the better contrast resolution for objects with diameters greater than 2 mm. A further improvement in the diagnosis of thoracic disease with digital radiography may occur because of the use of special mathematical algorithms for image reconstruction and with the use of dual-energy subtraction radiography rather than by an increase of spatial resolution.