Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey.
Department of Radiology, Ataturk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, 06280 Ankara, Turkey.
Curr Med Imaging. 2021;17(8):996-1002. doi: 10.2174/1573405617999210112193856.
Behçet's disease is a chronic multisystemic vasculitis affecting vessels of different sizes in various organs. Thoracic manifestations of the disease show a wide spectrum involving a variety of anatomic structures within the chest. However, pulmonary artery involvement is a typical manifestation of the disease that contributes significantly to mortality in patients. The study aimed to analyze CT features of thoracic manifestations, particularly pulmonary artery involvement, and to quantitatively assess bronchial arteries in Behçet's disease.
Patients with Behçet's disease who underwent CT scans for suspected thoracic involvement between 2010 and 2018 were included. CT findings of 52 patients were retrospectively analyzed for thoracic manifestations of the disease. Bronchial arteries were assessed regarding diameter in patients with/without pulmonary artery involvement. The pulmonary symptoms were noted.
Of the 52 patients, 67% had thoracic manifestations including pulmonary artery involvement, parenchymal changes, superior vena cava thrombosis, and intracardiac thrombus. Pulmonary artery involvement was observed in 50% of the cohort. Peripheral pulmonary arteries (77%) were the most commonly affected branches, followed by lobar (42%) and central (35%) pulmonary arteries. Other thoracic findings were significantly correlated with pulmonary artery involvement (p<0.05). Compared to patients without pulmonary artery involvement, those with pulmonary artery involvement had a higher bronchial artery diameter (p<0.05) and occurrence rate of dilated bronchial arteries.
Involvement of peripheral pulmonary arteries is frequently encountered in Behçet's disease and it can resemble pulmonary nodules. Dilated bronchial arteries, which can be observed in cases of pulmonary artery involvement, should be considered in patients with hemoptysis.
白塞病是一种慢性多系统血管炎，影响不同大小的血管在各种器官。该疾病的胸部表现呈现出广泛的谱，涉及胸部内的各种解剖结构。然而，肺动脉受累是该疾病的典型表现，对患者的死亡率有重大影响。本研究旨在分析胸部表现，特别是肺动脉受累的 CT 特征，并对白塞病的支气管动脉进行定量评估。
纳入 2010 年至 2018 年间因疑似胸部受累而接受 CT 扫描的白塞病患者。回顾性分析 52 例患者的 CT 发现，以了解该疾病的胸部表现。评估有/无肺动脉受累患者的支气管动脉直径。记录肺部症状。
52 例患者中，67%有胸部表现，包括肺动脉受累、实质改变、上腔静脉血栓形成和心内血栓形成。该队列中 50%的患者观察到肺动脉受累。外周肺动脉（77%）是最常受累的分支，其次是肺叶（42%）和中央（35%）肺动脉。其他胸部发现与肺动脉受累显著相关（p<0.05）。与无肺动脉受累的患者相比，有肺动脉受累的患者支气管动脉直径更大（p<0.05）且扩张性支气管动脉的发生率更高。
白塞病常累及外周肺动脉，其表现类似于肺结节。在有肺动脉受累的情况下，可以观察到扩张的支气管动脉，对于咯血的患者应考虑到这一点。
