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Is There a Relationship Between Paratracheal Air Cysts and Upper Lobe Fibrosis?
Elif Nisa Unlu1, Ege Gulec Balbay, Mertay Boran
1From the Faculty of Medicine, Departments of *Radiology, †Chest Diseases, ‡Thoracic Surgery, and §Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Duzce University; and ∥Department of Radiology, Ataturk State Hospital, Duzce, Turkey.
Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography
|January 14, 2016
Summary
Paratracheal air cysts (PACs) are common, with a 5.35% prevalence. These cysts are significantly associated with upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and bronchiectasis, suggesting a potential traction effect.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Radiology
- Thoracic Surgery
Background:
- Paratracheal air cysts (PACs) are an understudied condition.
- Understanding PACs' characteristics and associations is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize paratracheal air cysts (PACs).
- To investigate the relationship between PACs and upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and bronchiectasis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 3549 thoracic CT scans.
- Evaluation of PAC presence, location, and characteristics.
- Assessment of upper lobe fibrosis, emphysema, and bronchiectasis, with comparison to a control group.
Main Results:
- 190 PACs identified (5.35% prevalence), predominantly in men.
- PAC group showed significantly higher rates of upper lobe fibrosis (45.8% vs 19.5%), emphysema (29.5% vs 11.6%), and bronchiectasis (17.9% vs 3.7%) compared to controls.
- PACs were mostly right-sided (98.9%).
Conclusions:
- Paratracheal air cysts are relatively common.
- PACs are significantly associated with upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and bronchiectasis.
- Traction effects on the tracheal wall due to upper lobe fibrosis may contribute to PAC formation.
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