MDCT Proves Superior for Detecting Bronchiectasis

The presence and extent of bronchiectasis has been effectively shown using high-resolution CT (HRCT). However, a study conducted by the Vancouver General Hospital’s department of Radiology in Vancouver, B.C., Canada that included 61 patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis has found that the used of helical high-resolution multidetector CT (MDCT) with one millimeter collimation proves to be better than HRCT. In the study, seven patients had positive MDCT scans with only two having positive HRCT scans with MDCT detecting bronchiectasis in 202 lobes compared to 162 lobes with HRCT.
"The results indicate that volumetric CT with thin sections is superior to conventional high-resolution CT technique in the detection of bronchiectasis,” said Nestor Muller, M.D., lead author of the study. “It should be noted however that when using the same exposure factors MDCT results in considerably greater radiation dose. The radiation risk is considerably greater in children than in adults, being lowest in patients over 50. In all circumstances, we try to limit the radiation dose by using the lowest exposure factors consistent with good image quality.”