Usefulness of Chest High-Resolution CT in Patients with Chronic Cough Below 2 Years of Age

Kim, Myung Hyun; Kim, Jung Hee; Lim, Dae Hyun; Son, Byong Kwan; Lee, Kyung Hee

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of chest high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT) in patients with chronic coughs or persistent wheezing with normal chest X-ray finding.
METHODS
We reviewed the charts, chest X-rays, and HRCT findings of patients with chronic coughs or persistent wheezing of less than 2 years of age. The records were sourced from the Department of Pediatrics, Inha University Hospital covering the period from July, 1999 to June, 2000. Chronic cough was defined as a cough which was prolonged for more than 3 weeks.
RESULTS
The sample consisted of 24 patients(male 15 and female 9, mean age 4.7+/-3.8 months old). Among them, 16 patients showed normal findings(66.7%) and 8 patients showed abnormal (33.3%) in simple chest X-rays. Among 16 patients who had the normal chest X-rays, 13 patients showed abnormal chest HRCT findings(81.3%) such as air space consolidation of the dependent portion(62.5%), bronchiolitis obliterans(12.5%), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia(6.3%).
CONCLUSION
We suggest that the chest HRCT is a useful diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients with chronic cough or persistent wheezing with normal chest X-ray, especially below 2 years of age.