[Conventional tomography, computerized tomography and proton spin tomography in lung disorders]

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Conventional tomography is being supplemented by advanced digital imaging techniques.
• Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provide detailed cross-sectional views of the lungs.
• These methods involve minimal ionizing radiation and allow for post-processing analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical utility of CT and MRI in pulmonary radiology.
• To discuss the performance of CT and MRI in various clinical scenarios.
• To suggest an approach for percutaneous lung biopsy.

Main Methods:

• Review of CT and MRI applications in pulmonary radiology.
• Discussion of technical limitations and advantages of each modality.
• Evaluation of imaging performance for specific lung pathologies.

Main Results:

• CT has largely replaced conventional tomography for many pulmonary indications.
• MRI faces challenges like motion artifacts and low proton density, limiting its widespread use.
• Both modalities are effective for analyzing different anatomical compartments and pathologies.

Conclusions:

• CT is a versatile tool for a broad range of pulmonary diagnostic problems.
• MRI is currently best suited for specialized applications such as lesion characterization and vascular assessment.
• A rational approach to percutaneous lung biopsy is proposed based on imaging findings.