Purpose or Case Report: Lymphobronchial TB (LBTB) in children refers to airway narrowing by tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Diagnosis is made invasively using flexible bronchoscopy or noninvasively with CT, which can include minimum intensity projection (MinIP) reconstructions.

Our aim was to generate standardized coronal minimum intensity projection CT reconstructions and compare these with flexible bronchoscopy in children with LBTB.
Methods & Materials: Standardized coronal MinIP reconstructions were performed from CT scans in children with LBTB. The findings of three readers were compared with the gold standard, flexible bronchoscopy (FB), regarding airway narrowing. Intraluminal lesions, the site of stenosis, and the degree of stenosis were also evaluated. The length of stenosis was assessed by CT MinIP only.
Results: 65 children (38 males; 58.5% and 27 females; 41.5%), with ages ranging from 2.5 to 144 months were evaluated. Coronal CT MinIP demonstrated a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 89% against FB. The most common site of stenosis was the bronchus intermedius (91%), followed by the left main bronchus (85%), the right upper lobe bronchus RUL (66%), and the trachea (60%). Agreement between coronal CT MinIP and FB ranged from 37% at the carina to 85% at the RLL in normal and abnormal airways.
Conclusions: Coronal CT MinIP reconstruction is useful in demonstrating airway stenosis in children with lymphobronchial TB, with high sensitivity and specificity. CT MinIP had additional advantages over FB in that it allowed objective measurement of the diameter of stenosis, measurement of the length of stenosis, and evaluation of post-stenotic segments of the airways and lung parenchymal abnormalities.