Interlobular septal thickening in idiopathic bronchiectasis : A thin-section CT study of 94 patients

PURPOSE: To retrospectively establish the prevalence of interlobular septal thickening at thin-section computed tomography (CT) in patients with bronchiectasis and to retrospectively examine the relationship between septal thickening and various CT features of bronchiectasis and functional parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval or informed consent are not required for such a retrospective study. Thin-section CT scans of 94 patients (29 men, 65 women; age range, 18–82 years) with idiopathic bronchiectasis confirmed at thin-section CT and without any history or condition that causes bronchiectasis were assessed independently by two observers. The presence and signs of bronchiectasis, extent and distribution of septal thickening at global and lobar levels, and presence of emphysema were recorded. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to identify relationships between individual parameters of bronchiectasis, the extent of septal thickening, and functional indice...