CT assessment of pulmonary emphysema using teleradiology.

PURPOSE: The present study assessed the usefulness of CT for diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema (PE) using teleradiology.

METHODS

We reviewed 95 cases (56 men and 39 women, ranging in age from 18 to 89 years) who had undergone CT examination between June 2002 and January 2003. CT images were transmitted via ISDN by DICOM to our hospital, and displayed in 4-image and 1-image format for reading on an image viewer.

RESULTS

In 72 of the total 95 cases, both 1-image and 4-image displays were normal, and no PE was detected. Of the remaining 23 patients, PE was found in 22 on 4-image display and in all 23 on 1-image display. The same grade and subtype were observed on 4-image and 1-image displays in 19 cases. On the other hand, difference in diagnosis between the two types of display was obtained in four cases, in which mild low attenuation areas (LAAs) such as grade 1 or grade 2 centrilobular emphysema were found on the 1-image display but not seen on the 4-image display.

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnosis of PE can be made by CT examination using teleradiology even in cases of mild lesions, when, for example, LAAs were found on the 1-image display but not seen on the other one. Therefore, teleradiology enables rapid diagnosis even in medical institutions where no expert chest radiologist is present.