However, there is no relevant literature specifically comparing chest CT with IV contrast to chest CT without IV contrast. CT Chest Without and With IV Contrast There is no relevant literature to support the use of chest CT without and with IV contrast for pre- or posttreatment evaluation of tracheal stenosis. CT Chest Without IV Contrast CT of the chest without IV contrast is widely used for pretreatment assessment of lesions and stenosis of the large airways and can help determine suitability and type of surgical or nonsurgical treatment approach [24]. A few small studies have documented additional incremental benefits of review of 2-D multiplanar, 3-D reformatted, and VB images, including changes in surgical approach or identification of associated findings such as small fistulae [11]. Chest CT is also used for evaluation of suspected posttreatment complications of tracheal interventions. CT is commonly used for planning for tracheal stent implantation; a study of 69 patients with stenosis due to malignancy used CT to select stent diameter by measuring proximal and distal landing zone diameters and to determine desired stent length by measuring length of the involved segment [25]. A small study of 17 stenoses in 14 patients with postintubation stenosis confirmed at surgery found a detection rate of stenosis of 94% (16 of 17 lesions) of CT with VB and 88% (15 of 17) by rigid bronchoscopy; assessment of length was accurate for 87% of stenotic segments by CT and VB and 73% of segments by rigid bronchoscopy [13]. A retrospective study of 31 tumors of the trachea or main bronchi compared a combination of pre- and postcontrast CT axial images, volume-rendered, and VB postprocessing techniques with surgical and pathology findings, finding good correlations for tumor locations, morphologies, longitudinal involvement, extent and morphology of stenosis, extramural invasion, and distance from the carina [12]. In a study of 52 patients comparing VB with bronchoscopy, Tracheobronchial Disease
Tracheobronchial Disease. However, there is no relevant literature specifically comparing chest CT with IV contrast to chest CT without IV contrast. CT Chest Without and With IV Contrast There is no relevant literature to support the use of chest CT without and with IV contrast for pre- or posttreatment evaluation of tracheal stenosis. CT Chest Without IV Contrast CT of the chest without IV contrast is widely used for pretreatment assessment of lesions and stenosis of the large airways and can help determine suitability and type of surgical or nonsurgical treatment approach [24]. A few small studies have documented additional incremental benefits of review of 2-D multiplanar, 3-D reformatted, and VB images, including changes in surgical approach or identification of associated findings such as small fistulae [11]. Chest CT is also used for evaluation of suspected posttreatment complications of tracheal interventions. CT is commonly used for planning for tracheal stent implantation; a study of 69 patients with stenosis due to malignancy used CT to select stent diameter by measuring proximal and distal landing zone diameters and to determine desired stent length by measuring length of the involved segment [25]. A small study of 17 stenoses in 14 patients with postintubation stenosis confirmed at surgery found a detection rate of stenosis of 94% (16 of 17 lesions) of CT with VB and 88% (15 of 17) by rigid bronchoscopy; assessment of length was accurate for 87% of stenotic segments by CT and VB and 73% of segments by rigid bronchoscopy [13]. A retrospective study of 31 tumors of the trachea or main bronchi compared a combination of pre- and postcontrast CT axial images, volume-rendered, and VB postprocessing techniques with surgical and pathology findings, finding good correlations for tumor locations, morphologies, longitudinal involvement, extent and morphology of stenosis, extramural invasion, and distance from the carina [12]. In a study of 52 patients comparing VB with bronchoscopy, Tracheobronchial Disease