Comparison of real-time virtual and fiberoptic bronchoscopy in patients with bronchial carcinoma: opportunities and limitations.

Abstract

Virtual bronchoscopy represents a new noninvasive method for evaluating helical CT findings. In comparison with fiberoptic bronchoscopy, virtual bronchoscopy offers the advantage of being able to visualize areas beyond even high-grade stenoses. In addition to the limited view of fiberoptic bronchoscopy, extraluminal causes of lumen compressions can be analyzed in the cross-sectional images and evaluated together with the virtual representation. However, it was not possible to detect small infiltrations with virtual bronchoscopy. This new representation of helical CT data might be helpful for postoperative follow-up examinations, such as after stent implantation, and can be carried out without additional risk to the patient. Radiologists do need special fiberoptic bronchoscopy knowledge and experience with three-dimensional-reconstructions to differentiate between real stenoses and artificial stenoses that might be caused by pulsation artifacts.