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Forty patients with a history of haemoptysis, normal chest radiographs apart from
evidence of chronic airflow limitation, and normal fibreoptic bronchoscopy (or blood
alone in the bronchial tree) were investigated by computed tomography (CT). Abnormalities
were seen in 20 (50%) of the CT scans. Seven of the patients had evidence of bronchiectasis
(18%), one of whom also had a mass. In four (10%) casesa mass alone was detected (two
tuberculous, two malignant). In a further four (10%) scans alveolar consolidation
was present and in threecases abnormal vessels were detected (7–5%). One patient had
cystic changes shown in their scan and multiple nodules were shown in the final patient.
The contralateral lungs of 93 patients undergoing CT for pre-operative assessment
of bronchogenic carcinoma were used as controls. In six (6%) of these patients abnormalities
were detected by CT. Pleural nodules were observed in two patients, fat in the transverse
fissure in another, atelectasis in two patients and an apical bulla in the otherabnormal
scan. The relative risk for patients with unexplained haemoptysis having abnormal
CT scans compared to the control group of patients was 7–75. We conclude that computed
tomography is of valuein the investigation of patients with unexplained haemoptysis.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 28,
1991
Received:
January 31,
1991
Identification
Copyright
© 1992 Baillière Tindall All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Inc.
