Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Neonatal Lung Diseases

Abstract

Objective: to optimize radiodiagnosis of neonatal lung diseases. Subjects and methods. The results of examinations were analyzed in 7 patients treated at a Kaliningrad regional children’s hospital. Along with physical examination and routine chest X-ray study, lung spiral computed tomography (CT) was made in all the babies on a Somatom Emotion spiral tomographic scanner (Siemens). The dose of irradiation was 4.1 mZV. The study was performed in the craniocaudal direction. The standard lung window mode was as follows: scanning time, 14.75 sec; scanning width, 3 mm; section width, 5 mm; 110 kV; 45 mA/sec. Results. CT established the pattern of a pathological process in the lung. It clarified the nature of the disease in all the cases. Conclusion. CT can provide an accurate topical diagnosis of a pathological process in the lung. This particularly applies to neonatal infants exposed to artificial ventilation. CT reveals the pattern and degree of evolved pulmonary complications and it is of high informative value. Key words: computed tomography, neonatal infants, lung.