Addressing the relationship between paratracheal air cyst and Paranchymal lung disease in thoracic CT-scan in patients referring to Golestan Hospital of Ahvaz

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Gas accumulation around the tracheamay is observed in neck and thoracic CT scans making the radiologist suspect whether these symptoms are associated with a pathologic process. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of partharesal cysts and their association with lung disease. METHODS: The results of 400 patients evaluated for thoracic routine were analyzed for presence of paratracheal cysts. The location of cysts, size, shape and their relationship with the trachea were studied. The patients’ results were compared with and without paratracheal cysts. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: Paratracheal cysts were found in 30 patients (7.5%) including 12 males and 18 females (P = 0.07). The age range was between 3 to 78 years old and the mean ages in patients with and without paratracheal cysts were 54 and 38 years, respectively (P < 0.0001). More than 60% of patients had cysts associated with the trachea. The mean AP level in patients with paratracheal cysts was significantly higher (P = 0.04). In addition, it was observed that the incidence of paratracheal cysts in patients with lung disease and especially COPD patients was higher (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In general, the results of this study showed that paratracheal cysts had a high prevalence and had a significant correlation with the presence of COPD. It was also observed that the incidence of these cysts increases in older people, which indicates that paratracheal cysts have an acquired mechanism.