[The anatomy of the bronchial arteries--their imaging with spiral CT].

UNLABELLED: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the capability of spiral CT in detecting bronchial arteries and in classifying their anatomic variations.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

In 43 patients with different diseases routine spiral CTs of the chest were performed and evaluated retrospectively. Spiral CT was started with a delay of 30 seconds after contrast material application.

RESULTS

In 43 patients a total of 67 bronchial arteries were detected: 31 right, 35 left and one common trunk. 26 right bronchial arteries originated medially, 5 anteriorly from the descending aorta, 7 of them together with an intercostal artery. 25 right bronchial arteries passed dorsally, 6 ventrally to the oesophagus. On the left, all 35 bronchial arteries originated from the anterior aorta: 12 led ventrally through the aorticopulmonary window to the ventral wall of the main bronchus, 14 were directed caudally to the cranial and 9 laterally to the posterior aspect of the main bronchus. The discernible length varied between 15 and 90 mm on the right, and between 10 and 37 mm on the left side. Only in two cases did the proximal diameter measure more than 2 mm.

CONCLUSION

Spiral CT offers the possibility to classify the anatomic course and pathologic changes of the bronchial arteries.