What imaging technique would be most useful to determine which patients with emphysema may benefit from lung volume reduction surgery?

a. Chest HRCT
b. CT angiography
c. MRI
d. Ultrasound

ANS: A
HRCT is far more sensitive and may show evidence of emphysema even when pulmonary func-tion test results are normal. For example, Figure 21-24 demonstrates a case of upper lobe para-septal emphysema, characterized by cysts on the pleural surface. Chest CT may prove useful to define which patients may benefit from treatments such as lung volume reduction surgery.