High-resolution computed tomography techniques in diffuse parenchymal lung disease and their application to clinical practice.

The remarkable ability of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) to provide sufficient detail of both normal and abnormal pulmonary anatomy requires high-quality examinations with considerable attention paid to the technique. Despite the use of optimal scanning protocols, there are well-known limitations of sequential scanning that explain the recent interest in the use of multislice spiral CT for diagnosing lung diseases in routine clinical practice. A basic knowledge of the most recent developments in spiral CT technology appears a necessary prerequisite for those clinicians, pulmonologists, internists, or thoracic surgeons who are involved in the management of diffuse infiltrative lung diseases. This chapter reviews the various aspects of multislice spiral CT technology applied to routine clinical evaluation of diffuse infiltrative lung diseases.