[Evaluation of bronchiectasia with AMBER and high-resolution computerized tomography. Prospective study of a group of...

The authors compared the diagnostic value of AMBER and HRCT in the evaluation of bronchiectasis. A series of 50 patients with conventional X-ray findings suggestive of this condition (increased pulmonary markings, loss of pulmonary volume and segmental cysts) were submitted to HRCT. In all the patients with bronchiectasis (25/50), AMBER showed increased pulmonary markings in one or more localizations, while loss of pulmonary volume was observed in 22 cases and segmental cysts in 8. The positive predictive value (PPV) of these findings was 50% for increased markings, 59% for the loss of pulmonary volume, 64% for the association of the former two signs and finally 100% for segmental cysts. The false-positive cases were due to bronchial wall thickening and to areas of peribronchial fibrosis. On the basis of their findings, the authors conclude that, except for the finding of segmental cysts, AMBER does not allow the unquestionable diagnosis of bronchiectasis to be made due to its low PPV (64%) and that further studies with HRCT are therefore required.