Bronchial Diverticula Detected by Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography Incidence and Clinical Features

Purpose: Our aim was to investigate the incidence and characteristics of bronchial diverticula using multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and to evaluate their association with smoking status. Materials and Methods: Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed MDCT scans obtained between December 2007 and February 2008 with a 4-row or a 64-row MDCT scanner for 1122 consecutive patients. Bronchial diverticula were assessed for incidence, locations, and sizes. Smoking history, including the Brinkman Index, was recorded from clinical records. Statistical analysis used chi(2) or t tests to evaluate associations between patients' clinical information (age, sex, or smoking history) and the presence of bronchial diverticula. Results: A total of 401 bronchial diverticula were found in 242 (21.6%) patients (mean, 1.65; mode, 1 per patient). Most diverticula were 1 or 2 mm in size. Bronchial diverticula were most frequently detected in the subcarinal region. Of these 242 patients with diverticula, 142 (58.7%) were male and had a higher prevalence than women (P < 0.01). No significant difference in age was found between the groups with and without bronchial diverticula. Although bronchial diverticula were also observed in lifelong nonsmokers, the group with bronchial diverticula had a higher percentage of smokers than the group without bronchial diverticula (P = 0.01). The Brinkman Index for the group with bronchial diverticula was significantly higher than for the group without diverticula (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Bronchial diverticula are frequently observed on chest MDCT scans and are associated with cigarette smoking.