Improved characterization of focal airway lesions using spectral detector dual energy CT

Clinicians should be aware of SDCT as a useful tool in the assessment of focal airway lesions. Spectral detector dual-energy computed tomography (SDCT) is a relatively novel imaging technology which has been utilized to aid in the diagnosis of many cardiothoracic conditions. Specifically, the availability of generated iodine density maps, virtual monoenergetic images, and effective atomic number maps allow for better evaluation of thoracic lesions compared to conventional CT. SDCT has previously been shown to be useful in the differentiation of benign vs malignant pulmonary nodules, pleural lesions, and lymph nodes. We describe 3 cases in which a patient presents with an indeterminate tracheal or bronchial lesion on conventional CT and subsequent SDCT reconstructions provided additional information which helped guide diagnosis or management of the patient. The goal is to help clinicians understand the benefit of SDCT in the detection and workup of airway lesions.