CT
High resolution computed tomography (HR-CT), a high-resolution imaging of the thorax (CT thorax), is considered a reliable method for detecting bronchiectasis. Here, parallel and inflammatory thickened walls of the bronchi, the so-called “tram lines” or “splint lines”, are noticeable. The bronchi appear dilated, air-filled and often filled with mucus. Since the bronchial tubes are accompanied by blood vessels and these are placed around the dilated bronchial tubes, this results in a typical “signet ring structure”.
When do you need an operation?
Surgical therapy is considered especially for younger patients with bronchiectasis, the frequent occurrence of haemoptysis (coughing up blood) and failure of conservative therapy or particularly severe courses of disease. Surgery is particularly effective if the changes only affect a certain section of the lung on one side only. The surgical techniques that come into question here are the removal of part of the lung (lung segment resection) or a complete lobe of the lung (lobectomy).
Depending on the extent of the bronchiectasis, either part of the lung (lung segment resection) or a complete lobe of the lung (lobectomy) is removed. Especially in the case of a unilateral localisation of the bronchiectases, surgery is the therapy of choice. Depending on the size and localization of the findings, one or more segments are cut out during lung surgery under general anesthesia, following the segment boundaries of the lung.