Table 1 A comparison of the four different radiological modalities regarding the ability to depict cystic fibrosis changes of the lungs (yes or no), as well as for cost; need for anaesthesia in young children; detail of information provided by the imaging modality; simplicity of the examination procedure; and radiation dose [6, 46, 47]. The approximate cost for each modality (derived from the price list of Skåne Regional Council, Sweden) was compared with the cost of a frontal and lateral radiograph, which was given the factor 1
Radiography | Tomosynthesis | CT | MRI | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Evaluated abnormalities: | |||||
Lung volume | Increased lung volume | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Emphysema | No | No | Yes | No | |
Air trapping (expiratory images) | No | No | Yes | No | |
Bronchial wall thickening | (Yes)a | Yes | Yes | (Yes)b | |
Bronchiectasis | Mucus plugging/ radiography | (Yes)a | Yes | Yes | (Yes)b |
Mucus plugging | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Parenchyma | Consolidation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Atelectasis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Cysts/Bullae | (Yes)a | Yes | Yes | (Yes)a | |
Abscesses | (Yes)a | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Thickened intra-/inter-lobular septa | No | No | Yes | No | |
Mosaic perfusion | No | No | Yes | No | |
Ground glass opacities | No | No | Yes | No | |
Pulmonary perfusion | No | No | No | Yes | |
Pleural affection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Cost, compared with radiography | 1 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 10.7 | |
Anaesthesia required for young children | No | Yes | (Yes)c | Yes | |
Detail of information | Low | Medium | High | Medium | |
Quick and easy to perform | Yes | Yes | (Yes)c | No | |
Mean radiation dose (mSv) | 0.09−0.1 | 0.12−0.13 | 7−8 | 0 | |