Advancements in Imaging Technologies for the Diagnosis of Lung Cancer and Other Pulmonary Diseases

Abstract

Advancements in imaging technologies have redefined pulmonary medicine, with increased diagnostic accuracy and improved clinical outcomes. This review discusses the evolving landscape of imaging advancements, including the pivotal role of low-dose computed tomography (CT) in lung cancer screening and the transformative impact of endobronchial ultrasound on lung cancer staging. Imaging techniques like high-resolution CT remain indispensable for the diagnosis and monitoring of parenchymal lung diseases. Positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly being used for inflammatory conditions like sarcoidosis. In pleural diseases, thoracic ultrasound is essential in diagnosing and performing bedside procedures safely. Advanced modalities like ventilation scans have also been used to target persistent air leaks. This review emphasizes the importance of advancements in imaging technologies to the field of pulmonary medicine and underscores the continued innovation and integration of these advancements.

Keywords: cancer; image technology; lung diseases.

Figure 1

Canada Lymph Node Score. Reproduced from He et al., 2021 [10]. Reprinted from The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 115, 1456-1462 (2023), with permission from Elsevier.

Figure 2

(A) CT chest showing a 2.5 cm nodule in the middle lobe. (B) Radial EBUS image reproduced from Jacomelli et al., 2015 [13] (Shared under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Figure 3

(A) Normal lung, (B) dense sign, and (C) blizzard sign. The white arrow is a pulmonary artery. Reproduced from Inomata et al., 2020 [22]. Shared in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

Figure 4

PET image at the thoracic level showing diffuse bilateral parenchymal FDG uptake. Reproduced from Mostard et al., 2011 [24]. Reprinted from Respiratory Medicine 105, 1917–1924 (2011) with permission from Elsevier.

Figure 5

(a) Lymph node with granular appearance and (b) granular appearance associated with non-caseating granuloma on histopathology. Reproduced from Ozgul et al., 2014 [25]. Shared under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/.

Figure 6

Pleural ultrasound revealing septations. Reproduced from Hassan et al., 2020 [28]. Shared under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence 4.0. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

Figure 7

SPECT scan showing focal area of accumulation of 81 m-Krypton in the right upper lobe (arrow). Reproduced from Y.E. Ong et al., 2006 [31]. Reproduced with permission of the © ERS 2025.