[Assessment of the tracheal cross-section by computerised tomography (author's transl)]

Tracheal cross-sections can be measured by means of computerised tomography with hitherto unparalleled accuracy. Among the patients examined by the authors (43) women following tracheopexy because of tracheomalacia), computerised tomography yielded approximately 3 times as many pathological findings as was possible by conventional x-ray diagnosis. Over and above this, it is always possible to calculate the flow resistance, a fact which can be of great importance for therapy planning and control. Hence, in all cases where accurate visualisation of the tracheal cross-section is necessary, computerised tomography appears to be the method of choice at the present time.