COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF LUNG DISEASES IN NEONATES AND INFANTS

Abstract

Objective. To carry out clinical, radiological, and pathological comparisons in congenital and acquired cystic lung changes to determine the capabilities of computed tomography (CT) in the detection and differential diagnosis of lung diseases in neonates and infants. Material and methods. The authors describe their own clinical cases of 185 neonates and infants followed up and treated for variant focal lung malformation for 20 years, with their histological verification, the time and algorithm of a postnatal radiological examination, as well as a treatment option, and a follow-up with X-ray and CT monitoring in 83 patients during 6 months to 16 years. Results. The CT semiotics of different variants of congenital and acquired cystic lung malformations are presented and compared with pathomorphological signs. The results of prenatal radiological diagnosis of lung diseases agreed with the final diagnosis of the type of disease in 42.03%; 50% of cases showed changes in the prenatal diagnosis established after CT; and this affected the concept of the patient and modified treatment policy in 36.96% of cases. Conclusion. CT is an expert radiation diagnostic technique for lung diseases in neonates and infants, which contributed to an accurate differential diagnosis in 94.05% and to the change in the policy and timing of surgical treatment for focal lung malformations in 51.89%.