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Imaging the Unified Airway

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Head and Neck Imaging

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Abstract

In both health and disease, this chapter aims to provide an overview of the unified airway. The conceptual subspeciality division between the upper and lower respiratory tracts is largely artificial; with dysfunction they impact adversely upon each other. Effectively, they should be considered as a single unit. This chapter provides a systematic assessment of the anatomy and discusses management of the unified airway as a single organ from the nasal passage to the lungs. Detailed understanding of the anatomy of the unified airway is helpful in understanding the likely pathologies that can be encountered. Clinical assessment as well as radiological investigations has a mutually beneficial role, tailored towards the patient’s presentation. Imaging encompasses plain radiograph, CT, MRI and PET-CT utilisation. Through a compilation of clinical cases this chapter demonstrates the various examination techniques, radiological assessments and potential treatment options which can be utilised for managing pathology involving the unified airway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Imperial College NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Romana Kuchai & Ahmad Hariri

  2. Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Elizabeth Hodge

  3. Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, WA, Australia

    Daren Gibson

  4. ENT - Head and Neck Surgery, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

    Taranjit Singh Tatla

Authors
  1. Romana Kuchai
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  2. Elizabeth Hodge
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  3. Daren Gibson
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  4. Ahmad Hariri
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  5. Taranjit Singh Tatla
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Romana Kuchai .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. ENT - Head and Neck Surgery, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

    Taranjit Singh Tatla

  2. ENT, Royal National ENT Hospital and University College London Hospitals, London, UK

    Joseph Manjaly

  3. Radiology, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Watford, Hertfordshire, UK

    Raekha Kumar

  4. Radiology, St George’s Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK

    Alex Weller

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Kuchai, R., Hodge, E., Gibson, D., Hariri, A., Tatla, T.S. (2021). Imaging the Unified Airway. In: Tatla, T.S., Manjaly, J., Kumar, R., Weller, A. (eds) Head and Neck Imaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80897-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80897-6_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80895-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80897-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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