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Bronchial diverticula in smokers on thin-section CT

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Abstract

The objective was to determine the prevalence of bronchial diverticula in smokers on thin-section CT and the relationship to clinical and other morphological features on CT. Thin-section CT images of 503 cigarette smokers were assessed for the profusion and location of diverticula in the major airways. The extent of the bronchial diverticula was recorded as follows: grade 0, none; grade 1, one to three diverticula; grade 2, more than three diverticula. The extent of emphysema, bronchial wall thickness, clinical features, and pulmonary function were compared in the sub-groups stratified according to the extent of bronchial diverticula. A total of 229/503 (45.5%) smokers had bronchial diverticula, with 168/503 (33.3%) and 61/503 (12.2%) having grade 1 and 2 bronchial diverticula respectively. Subjects with grade 2 bronchial diverticula were heavier smokers, reported a history of coughing more frequently, and showed more severe functional impairment, greater extent of emphysema and more severe bronchial wall thickening compared with subjects with grade 1 and those individuals without bronchial diverticula (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that only bronchial wall thickness predicted the extent of the bronchial diverticula (P < 0.0001). Bronchial diverticula are a frequent finding in the major airways of smokers, and they are associated with other markers of smoking-related damage.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Italian Association for Research on Cancer (AIRC), the Lombardia-Cariplo Foundation and the Italian Ministry of Health. The authors are deeply grateful to Claudio Jacomelli (National Cancer Institute, Milano) for the technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Radiology, University of Parma, Ospedale Maggiore di Parma, Padiglione Barbieri, V. Gramsci 14, 43100, Parma, Italy

    Nicola Sverzellati & Anna Ingegnoli

  2. Division of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy

    Elisa Calabrò & Ugo Pastorino

  3. Division of Radiology, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy

    Alfonso Marchianò

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute, Milan, Italy

    Giorgia Randi & Carlo La Vecchia

  5. Institute of Medical Statistics and Biometry “G. A. Maccacaro”, University of Milano, Milan, Italy

    Giorgia Randi & Carlo La Vecchia

  6. Fraunhofer MEVIS - Institute for Medical Image Computing, Bremen, Germany

    Jan-Martin Kuhnigk

  7. Department of Radiology, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK

    David M. Hansell

  8. Department of Radiology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy

    Maurizio Zompatori

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  1. Nicola Sverzellati
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  2. Anna Ingegnoli
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  3. Elisa Calabrò
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  4. Giorgia Randi
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  7. Jan-Martin Kuhnigk
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  8. David M. Hansell
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  9. Maurizio Zompatori
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  10. Ugo Pastorino
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Correspondence to Nicola Sverzellati.

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Sverzellati, N., Ingegnoli, A., Calabrò, E. et al. Bronchial diverticula in smokers on thin-section CT. Eur Radiol 20, 88–94 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1515-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1515-2

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