Chest radiography and computed tomography imaging in cystic fibrosis: current challenges and new perspectives

Abstract

Imaging plays a pivotal role in the noninvasive assessment of cystic fibrosis (CF)-related lung damage, which remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality in children with CF. The development of new imaging techniques has significantly changed clinical practice, and advances in therapies have posed diagnostic and monitoring challenges. The authors summarise these challenges and offer new perspectives in the use of imaging for children with CF for both clinicians and radiologists. This article focuses on chest radiography and CT, which are the two main radiologic techniques used in most cystic fibrosis centres. Advantages and disadvantages of radiography and CT for imaging in CF are described, with attention to new developments in these techniques, such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) image analysis strategies to improve the sensitivity of radiography and CT and the introduction of the photon-counting detector CT scanner to increase spatial resolution at no dose expense.