[High resolution computerized tomography in the study of the lung parenchyma. Possibility of a low-dose protocol]

High-resolution CT (HRCT) is a useful technique to investigate minimal diffuse lung disease. Two major limitations of HRCT are the higher radiation dose to the patient than in conventional CT of the chest and therefore the impossibility to study the lungs completely. These limitations can be partially overcome by using a low-dose protocol with mAs reduction. In our preliminary experience on 19 patients affected with various lung diseases, the low-dose protocol exhibited poorer image quality but almost equivalent anatomical detailing; the diagnostic yield was higher than that of conventional HRCT. Thus, in our experience, low-dose HRCT makes an interesting compromise in the study of lung parenchyma.