Thoracic (chest) imaging, which includes the lungs, represents a substantial portion of the clinical work provided by the Department of Radiology at the University of Michigan Health System. Our Division oversees more than 90,000 standard chest radiographic and 8,000 chest CT examinations annually, which are read and interpreted by board-certified, fellowship-trained experts, who specialize in this type of radiology. We provide imaging for the entire range of lung disorders, including:
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Infectious diseases
- Lung cancer
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary embolism
- Occupational lung disease (asbestos)
Cutting-edge lung imaging includes chest X-ray, lung angiogram, CT, MRI and CT pulmonary angiography. In addition to standard CT studies of the lungs for infection and cancer, high-resolution CT studies of the lungs for diagnosis and evaluation of treatment effectiveness for diffuse lung disease (a group of disorders causing progressive scarring of lung tissue) are now routine. We participate in multidisciplinary clinics and programs, including the Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation Program and the Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Program. (Removing diseased portions of the over-expanded lung of an emphysema patient so other body parts can work more efficiently.) We also support both Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Our Interventional Radiology Service performs percutaneous (through the skin) biopsies and drainage procedures, as well as radiofrequency ablation procedures (killing cancer cells by heating them, using CT to guide the needle) for lung cancer. Our studies and protocols make sure our patients receive the lowest dose of radiation required for their study. And, having the very latest equipment allows for studies to be done quicker, which also lowers radiation exposure. We are also 100% digital, which means we are more efficient, can provide faster turnaround time getting reports back to physicians, and all medical personnel has access to the images.