Radiology, Vol 201, 475-479, Copyright © 1996 by Radiological Society of North America
Neofissure after lobectomy of the right lung: radiographic and CT findings
JB Seo, KS Lee, SW Choo, YM Shim and SL Primack
Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
PURPOSE: To document the postlobectomy radiographic and computed
tomographic (CT) appearance of neofissures of the right lung. MATERIALS AND
METHODS: Chest radiographs and CT scans from 25 patients who had undergone
right lobectomy were assessed by two chest radiologists, and decisions on
the findings were reached by consensus. Analyses included orientation of
the neofissure and lobar reorientation of the remaining lobes. RESULTS:
Neofissure location after right upper lobectomy (n = 13) was superior and
anterior compared with the location of the left major fissure on both
lateral radiographs and CT scans. After right middle lobectomy (n = 4), the
neofissure had less vertical orientation than the left major fissure (the
highest posterior portion was lower and the lowest anterior portion was
higher than the left major fissure) on both lateral radiographs and CT
scans. After right lower lobectomy (n = 8), two types of lobar
reorientation and, accordingly, two types of neofissure were observed in
the right lower lung zone (posteriorly and anteriorly high, respectively,
on lateral radiographs). CONCLUSION: Analyses of neofissures on lateral
radiographs and CT scans enable differentiation among various kinds of
lobectomy.
