Pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular disease.

cardiac or pulmonary abnormalities, or vascular diseases primarily affecting the small arteries or veins. In most cases, PVD and PH are assessed using techniques and imaging modalities other than high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). However, in some patients, HRCT may be performed to determine whether lung disease is present as a cause of the patient’s disability or to evaluate specific small vessel diseases. If vascular disease is suspected, assessment of the lung using multidetector-row spiral HRCT with contrast infusion is an ideal technique. Furthermore, in patients who have known PH, HRCT may be performed when the etiology of the vascular disease is unclear. Only those vascular diseases commonly assessed using HRCT are described in this chapter.