Multidetector-row Computed Tomography of Diffuse Tracheal Disease: Pictorial Review

Diffuse tracheal diseases are uncommon and may mimic asthma or other forms of chronic obstructive lung disease. Bronchoscopy is usually definitive in establishing a diagnosis and assessing the severity of diffuse tracheal disease. However, advances in multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) technology allow for rapid acquisition time and generation of high-quality multiplanar reconstructions and virtual bronchoscopic images, making MDCT evaluation of suspected or known tracheal disease the noninvasive examination of choice. The MDCT findings of the various diseases that diffusely affect the trachea may be highly suggestive of 1 particular disease or narrow the differential diagnosis to a few possibilities. Moreover, MDCT imaging of the chest can help identify associated lung disease or complications of diffuse tracheal disease such as pneumonia or atelectasis. This pictorial review illustrates the MDCT appearances of the more common diffuse tracheal diseases.