CT of congenital malformations of the lung.

We reviewed 40 cases of congenital malformations of the lung that were studied with both plain radiography and computed tomography (CT). We compared the CT findings with those of radiography. We found that CT was helpful in the management of these cases because it helped confirm the diagnosis, demonstrated unsuspected findings, and better depicted anatomic extent of anomalies, thus allowing better planning for surgery. We believe that CT is the method of choice for the study of congenital lung malformations and that it should be used before more invasive procedures such as bronchography or aortography.