Abstract:
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic life-threatening
disease that most critically affects the lungs. It causes the production ofsticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to inflammation.
The severity of lung damage determines the evolution of the disease
and requires instrumental confirmation.
Research was performed to determinate the structural changes
of the lung tissue in children with CF by the conventional chest
X-ray and thorax spiral computed tomography (CT).
In this study we evaluated the chest X-raysof 55 patients (32
girls and 23 boys) and the CT scans of 36 patients with CF (21
girls and 15 boys), from 2 to 18 years. Four patients had a mild
evolution of CF, 10 children had moderate, and 21 suffered from
the severe form of the disease.
The most common chest radiographic findings in CF patients
were hyperinflation (87.3%), bronchial thickening (94.5%) and
dilatation (41.8%), an increase in interstitial markings (76.3%),
and pneumofibrosis (85.4%).
Abnormal findings were detected in 94.4% patients examined
by CT. Bronchiectasis developed in 77.7% CF patients, including
28.6% cases in the upper or mid lobes and 71.4% children with generalized bronchiectasis. Cysticbronchus deformations withliquid
levels were identified in 2 of the patients with severe evolution of
CF. Sectors of fibrosis were revealed in 6 spiral CT images. In two
of the CF children CT findings of chronic obstructive bronchitis
were detected, and in other two patients no structural bronchial
changes were founded.
The method of spiral tomography offeredmore complete and
detailed information about the anatomo-morphological substrate
of pulmonary modifications in children with cystic fibrosis.
In children with CF structural bronchopulmonaryspiral
CTsreveals modifications such as focal fibrosis, and sometimes
widespread bronchial deformations with saccate bronchiectasis.
Description:
Department of Pediatrics, NicolaeTestemitanu State Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Department of Imagistic, Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health Care, Congresul III al Medicilor de Familie din Republica Moldova, 17–18 mai, 2012, Chişinău, Republica Moldova, Conferinţa Naţională „Maladii bronhoobstructive la copii”, consacrată profesorului universitar, doctor habilitat Victor Gheţeul, 27 aprilie, Chişinău, Republica Moldova