ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the anatomical and technical aspects of image acquisition for High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), with an emphasis on multidetector-row CT and describes image interpretation and postprocessing tools, including two-dimensional reformation, such as multiplanar reformats, minimum intensity projection, and maximum intensity projection. The chapter explores the known artifacts and discusses the applications of volumetric multidetector HRCT in specific clinical scenarios. The secondary pulmonary lobule is the smallest functional anatomic unit that can be defined on HRCT. Thin collimation and a high-spatial frequency algorithm for image reconstruction are the basic principles of HRCT technique. Incremental HRCT therefore samples the lung and is most useful in the evaluation of diffuse interstitial lung disease. Expiratory HRCT images are useful to identify air trapping, which is a manifestation of small and large airway diseases, and emphysema. The high-spatial frequency reconstruction algorithm used in HRCT increases image noise.
