Advantages of In-time Radiological Diagnosis: Minimum Dose and Less Respiratory and Surgical Complications

Radiological diagnostics, including standard lung X-ray radiographs and bronchography, as well as the pulmonary diagnostics including spirometry, gas analysis and lung scintigraphy, have a crucial role in diagnosing chronic pulmonary diseases, specially in children. They need to be performed in time in order to prevent disease complications and their progression, but nevertheless also to reduce multiple exposures and irradiation doses. We are presenting two patients with long-term respiratory problems who have undergone several lobectomy or bi-lobectomy operations, after a detailed diagnostic procedure and findings of bronchiectasis, bronchial deformation and partial lung fibrosis in the Srebrnjak Hospital. The detailed radiological diagnostic procedure included a left- or right-side bronchography. In spite of relatively high doses during bronchography, compared to basic diagnostic methods, it was approved by delivering valuable information needed for surgery The first patient had suffered from frequent relapsing respiratory infections, obstructive bronchitis attacks and pneumonia since the age of three. During the two years preceding the surgery she has been coughing with purulent sputum and often had been febrile, which was accompanied by ague and shiver. Due to medial bronchus stenosis and middle and inferior lobe fibrosis, bi-lobectomy had to be performed. The second patient had suffered from frequent respiratory infections and relapsing pneumonia and bronchiectasis of the right inferior lobe. A lobectomy had to be performed as well. We presume that relatively high doses of irradiation during bronchography, as well as surgical interventions could have been avoided if clinical and radiological diagnosis in our two patients had been done in time. (author)