Right upper lobe versus right middle lobe: differentiation with thin-section, high-resolution CT

In evaluating lobar volume loss differentiation between the upper and middle lobes of the lung may be difficult with conventional computed tomography (CT) scanning or by using bronchography (a method for imaging lungs following the injection of a dye). A new method using thin-section, high-resolution CT was employed by researchers to obtain an accurate evaluation of lobar volume loss. Using this new method researchers evaluated the CT scans of 117 patients, including 54 with lobar volume loss. The new method is capable of evaluating subsegmental (i.e., much greater anatomical specificity) portions of the lung bronchi and differentiating between upper and middle lobes more accurately than is permitted by conventional CT imaging techniques.