Investigation of high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) outcomes associated with chronic pulmonary microaspiration (CPM) in Tehran and Zahedan, Iran.

BACKGROUND

In patients with chronic pulmonary microaspiration (CPM) the recognition of high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) findings and their pattern is important.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the HRCT detections in patients with CPM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This descriptive study enrolled 100 consecutive patients with CPM underwent HRCT of the lungs between 2017 and 2018 in Tehran and Zahedan Hospitals and private centers. The required variables were recorded for each patient with a questionnaire. Subsequently, HRCT was performed and abnormalities were then reported by two radiologists.

RESULTS

Most of patients exhibited bronchial thickening in 33.6% of cases, followed by ground-glass opacity (12.4%), emphysema (11.1%), and bronchiectasis (8.5%). In addition, the most common HRCT findings were found in left lower lobe (LLL) (37.1%), followed by right lower lobe (RLL) (35.9 %), right upper lobe (RUL) (6,2%), and left upper lobe (LUL) (6%).

CONCLUSION

Our data showed the most common findings in HRCT were bronchial thickening ground-glass opacity, emphysema, and bronchiectasis, where these findings was dominantly found in LLL, RLL, RUL, and LUL, indicating its high tendency to dependent areas.