Large Airway Diseases

Abstract

Various neoplasms and nonneoplastic diseases affect the tracheobronchial tree and cause focal or diffuse airway luminal narrowing or dilatation. For the identification and characterization of various large airway diseases, imaging, particularly computed tomography, plays a key role. Advances in computed tomography technology and postprocessing techniques enable the rapid, noninvasive, comprehensive, and accurate evaluation of the tracheobronchial tree. This article provides a radiologic review of various large airway diseases, including congenital tracheobronchial abnormalities such as infection, inflammation, and infiltrative diseases causing large airway narrowing with wall thickening; tracheal stricture; tracheal neoplasm; bronchiectasis; broncholithiasis; and bronchial anthracofibrosis.

Deletion of airway cilia results in noninflammatory bronchiectasis and hyperreactive airways

“…A note of caution is the possibility that conditions in which the lungs were processed for histology may have altered mucus secretions or plugs. However, the distribution of bronchiectasis on CT appeared to be diffuse, as opposed to the localized bronchiectasis that is usually seen with retained secretions (20). In contrast to humans, previous mouse models of PCD have not shown lower airway pathology.…”

“…Mice were anesthetized and exsanguinated, and lungs were inflated with a small amount of air. Lungs were perfused with an isotonic phosphate buffer solution (PBS) via cardiac puncture, followed by a 4% paraformaldehyde solution and then incubated in increasing concentrations of sucrose (10,20, and 30%).…”

Imaging of the trachea

“…Multiple benign and malignant conditions may alter the normal appearance of the trachea. This review focuses on the imaging appearance of various benign and malignant disease entities that can affect the trachea (1,5,6).…”

Annual General Assembly of the Royal Belgian Society of Radiology (RBRS), Leuven, 26.11.2013

“…The most common CT finding is regular or nodular wall thickening. This may result in smooth or irregular luminal narrowing (7,15).…”