Cystic Fibrosis from Childhood to Adulthood: What Is New in Imaging Assessment?

Abstract

Advanced pulmonary disease continues to remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), with pulmonary imaging playing a crucial role in early detection, longitudinal monitoring, as well as prelung and postlung transplant evaluation. This article reviews the specific imaging features of CF using conventional imaging modalities (chest radiographs and high-resolution computed tomography [HRCT]) as well as emerging imaging technologies (digital chest tomosynthesis and MR imaging). In addition, the authors review the CF-specific HRCT imaging findings that are essential in the evaluation of these patients in the pre-lung transplant and post-lung transplant settings.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; High-resolution computed tomography; Lung transplantation; Pulmonary disease.