The authors performed virtual bronchoscopy (VB) in 30 patients indicated to CT examination of the chest for suspected tumor disease and subsequently compared the findings with flexible bronchoscopy (FB). There were 22 patients with intrabronchial lesion. Multiple intrabronchial lesions were present in 10 patients, their total number being 38. The authors first evaluated precision of VB in relation to the patient. The sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 87.5% were reached. Individual bronchi were than divided in groups according to degree of damage (stenosis, occlusion) and caliber (trachea and the main bronchi, lobar bronchi, segmental and subsegmental bronchi). A statistically significant difference between the result of VB and FB was detected only in the group of segmental and subsegmental bronchi, where five false cases of positivity caused by bronchial secrete were detected. No statistically significant difference was determined between the results of the two methods in the other groups. The only false-negative result concerned a minute benign polyp, which was detected in a patient with correctly determined tumor stenosis in other localization. Therefore, in the evaluation related per patient it did not become manifest. In spite rekonof the promising results VB with submillimeter collimation cannot be considered as an equal alternative to FB. The impossibility to differentiate mucous lesion and sampling of biological material are the main limitations. The method can be successfully used in patients with contraindications to FB or in cases, where some areas, which cannot be visualized by FB, should be evaluated (e.g. behind tight stenoses and occlusions). Moreover, it can be applied in monitoring of bronchial anastomoses after lung transplantation, evaluation of unobstructed stents and in planning of intervention operations.

        Key words: multidetector computing tomography – bronchoscopy – virtual bronchoscopy – respiratory pathways – bronchogenic cancer