What Are Bronchovascular Markings?
Bronchovascular markings are the visible markings made by blood vessels supplying nutrients to the bronchi and bronchioles in the lungs seen on a chest x-ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan. While these markings can be normal, when they become more prominently visible it can indicate an infection or underlying lung disorder.
Bronchovascular markings must always be taken into consideration with the clinical picture. If a patient is coughing and says they have chest pain, then increased bronchovascular markings likely indicate an infection. If you are healthy and have no symptoms, then it is likely an incidental finding and not something to be concerned about. Other causes of increased bronchovascular markings include normal aging, increased inflammation, chronic bronchitis, interstitial lung disease, and heart failure.
According to the American Lung Association, there are close to 40 different diseases and conditions that affect lungs. They include bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, influenza, mesothelioma, primary pulmonary hypertension, sarcoidosis, sleep apnea, sudden infant death syndrome and many others. In the United States alone, there are tens of millions of people suffering from lung diseases. Many more are spread across the world. Most of these diseases are brought about by smoking, exposure to harmful stimuli, infections and genetics.
