[Studies of CT images of bronchial tuberculosis, in reference to its pathogenesis]

CT images of 18 patients with bronchial tuberculosis were studied and pathogenesis of the disease was analyzed on the basis of CT findings. Characteristic CT findings, observed in 15 cases, were thickening of bronchial wall and/or swelling of adjacent pulmonary arteries in peripheral part of bronchial tuberculosis lesion. In 11 of these 15 cases, observed pulmonary cavity and/or large tuberculosis lesions at the periphery of the above-mentioned CT findings, were considered to develop to the direct extension from parenchymal tuberculosis. Other 4 cases showed the above-mentioned characteristic CT findings, but without parenchymal lesions, the pathogenesis of the disease remained undetermined. In remaining 3 cases, neither characteristic CT findings nor remarkable parenchymal lesion was noticed. One of them was clarified by bronchoscopic examination.