The evolving role of MDCT in the assessment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The purpose of this article is to educate the reader in the value a radiologist can offer in the multidetector (MD) CT assessment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MDCT can identify patients in whom treatments such as lung volume reduction surgery or newer endobronchial therapies may be of benefit. We will also discuss important and under-recognised associated cardiorespiratory disease, which may be incidentally identified.

Multidetector CT of pulmonary cavitation: filling in the holes.

Pulmonary cavitation causes significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis of the presence and aetiology of a cavity is therefore crucial in order to avoid further demise in both the localized pulmonary and systemic disorders that may manifest with pulmonary cavity formation. Multidetector CT has become the principal diagnostic technique for detecting pulmonary cavitation and its complications. This review provides an overview of the aetiologies and their imaging findings using this technique. Combining a literature review with case illustration, a synopsis of the different imaging features and constellations is provided, which may suggest a particular cause and aid the differentiation from diseases with similar findings.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a Christmas Island nuclear test veteran.

We describe the case of a 71-year-old man with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern) diagnosed on clinical, radiological and lung function criteria, in accordance with the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society consensus criteria (2000), who had been in close proximity to three atmospheric nuclear bomb blasts during military service in 1957. He does not have clubbing and clinically and radiologically his lung disease is stable. He also has bladder carcinoma and carotid arteriosclerosis, both recognised consequences of radiation injury. This is the first reported case of UIP in a nuclear test veteran. Awareness of this potential association is important given the current attempts of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association to gain compensation for claimed injuries.

Imaging the lungs in patients treated for lymphoma.

The lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of malignancies, which exhibit a range of different molecular features, genetics, and clinical presentations. Consequently, therapeutic approaches and clinical outcomes differ greatly. Following therapy, the thorax may be a site of disease recurrence, but infection, drug reactions, and radiation pneumonitis are commonly encountered. We present a comprehensive review of these conditions, focussing on their radiological appearances, in order that radiologists may better engage their colleagues in haemato-oncology.

Cysts, cavities, and honeycombing in multisystem disorders: differential diagnosis and findings on thin-section CT.

Pulmonary cysts, cavities, and honeycombing are seen in a number of systemic disorders. The purpose of this review is to discuss the findings on thin-section computed tomography (CT) in both congenital and acquired multisystem conditions that give rise to multiple cystic spaces in the lungs. Conditions discussed include lymphangioleiomyomatosis, Langerhan's cell histiocytosis, lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, and Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, with reference to specific features that may be helpful in the differentiation of these conditions on CT.

Vestibular schwannomas with fluid-fluid level.

Vestibular schwannomas containing cystic parts are common, but it is extremely rare for a vestibular schwannoma to contain fluid-fluid levels. In this report, we present two cases of vestibular schwannoma with magnetic resonance imaging findings of a fluid-fluid level, and we discuss the radiological features and possible mechanism of fluid-fluid level formation.