The Lengths of the Left and Right Mainstem Bronchi Measured by Computed Tomography with Minimum Intensity Projection in Korean Adults

Abstract

Background: Accurate knowledge of the mainstem bronchial lengths is essential in order to prevent malpositioning of the double lumen endobronchial tubes (DLT). It is believed that the lengths of the left and right mainstem bronchi measured by CT are more accurate than those measured using a fiberoptic bronchoscope. This study evaluated the length of the mainstem bronchus using a CT scan in Korean adults.Methods: One hundred twenty patients who underwent a chest CT scan without any anatomical changes due to a mass or inflammation were examined. Airway imaging with a minimum intensity projection of the oblique coronal section using multidetector CT was obtained and the lengths of the left and right mainstem bronchi were measured.Results: The lengths of the left mainstem bronchus of the males and females were 49.2 ± 4.8 mm and 44.6 ± 3.9 mm respectively, and the right mainstem bronchus of the males and females were 21.0 ± 4.8 mm and 18.0 ± 4.0 mm, respectively. There was no linear correlation between the height of the patients and the length of the left and right mainstem bronchi.Conclusions: These results provide reference data to help determine the precise margin of safety using a double lumen endobronchial tube for thoracic surgery.

Assessment of airway length of Korean adults and children for otolaryngology and ophthalmic surgery using a fiberoptic bronchoscope

“…Research regarding the lengths of the upper airway and trachea in Korean adults using fibroptic bronchoscopy exists, but such studies are limited in the fact that the approach using the mean value, which is generally used, does not provide a correlation with a high coefficient of determination [ 9 ]. There have also been studies conducted using fibroptic bronchoscopy to determine the length to the right and left main bronchus [ 8 , 10 ], as well as studies employing CT scans to identify the length to the main bronchus, but these studies did not go beyond finding the position for double-lumen tubes (DLT) [ 11 ].…”

“…Previous studies conducted to evaluate the lengths of the upper airway and the trachea in Korean adults used CTs and bronchoscopy, but did not clearly show the difference in length between Westerners and Koreans [ 8 - 11 ]. Additionally, there are physical differences between western and Korean children, whose physical measurements rapidly change depending on their age.…”

The comparison of the lengths and diameters of main bronchi measured from two-dimensional and three-dimensional images in the same patients

“…There is no currently used standard modality for estimating the length and diameter of the bronchial lumen. Studies on the method of measuring the length and diameter of the main bronchi have been attempted [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. A method which may be easy and less harmful to the patient is the radiologic method such as a simple chest X-ray (CXR), computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).…”