CT and MR Findings of Bronchial Anthra cofibrosis

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the CT and MR findings of bronchial anthracofibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with ronchoscopically confirmed bronchial anthracofibrosis were included in this study. Thirty-six were female and five were male, and all were aged between 53 and 89 (mean, 70) years. The CT (n=41) and MR findings (n=5) were retrospectively analysed with regard to bron-chostenosis, atelectasis, air-space consolidation, lymph node enlargement, calcified lymph node, mass and bronchial wall thickening, as seen on CT, and signal intensity of the mass and lymph nodes, as seen on MR. RESULTS: CT scans revealed the presence of bronchostenosis (n=34, 83%), atelectasis (n=24, 59%), pneumonic consolidation (n=26, 63%), enlarged mediastinal lymph node (n=39, 95%), calcified lymph node (n=22, 54%), mass (n=4,10%), and thickening of bronchial wall (n=1, 2.4%). Multifocal involvement of bron-chostenosis, atelectasis, and air-space consolidation occurred in 61%, 50% and 30% of cases, retrospectively. MR imaging showed low signal intensity of mass (n=3) and lymph nodes (n=10) on T1WI and T2WI. but in one case, mass and lymph node showed central high signal intensity on T2WI. CONCLUSION: A multiplicity of bronchostenosis, atelectasis, air-space consolidation and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes were characteristic CT findings of bronchial anthracofibrosis. Most MR findings included relatively low signal intensity of masses and lymph nodes on T2WI, possibly indicating the benign nature of the diseases