Report from the 2025 annual meeting of thoracic radiologists in Thailand: Advances and consensus on standards, guidelines, and practices for thoracic disorders

Warat Setasuban; Boripat Hirunpat; Tatcha Wongtom; Walit Sowalertrat; Nutcha Pinjaroen; Tanop Srisuwan; Nantaka Kiranantawat; Warawut Sukkasem; Sutarat Tungsagunwattana; Thitiporn Suwatanapongched; Panruethai Trinavarat; Chayaporn Kaewsathorn; Thanisa Thongbai; Chayanin Nitiwarangkul; Sitang Nirattisaikul; Wiwatana Tanomkiat

doi:10.46475/asean-jr.v27i1.1011

Authors

Warat Setasuban, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University
Boripat Hirunpat, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University
Tatcha Wongtom, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University
Walit Sowalertrat, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University
Nutcha Pinjaroen, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University
Tanop Srisuwan, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai University
Nantaka Kiranantawat, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University
Warawut Sukkasem, M.D. Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
Sutarat Tungsagunwattana, M.D. Department of Radiology, Central Chest Institute of Thailand, Department of Medical Services
Thitiporn Suwatanapongched, M.D. Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
Panruethai Trinavarat, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University
Chayaporn Kaewsathorn, M.D. Department of Radiology, Surat Thani Hospital, Surat Thani, Thailand.
Thanisa Thongbai, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University
Chayanin Nitiwarangkul, M.D. Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
Sitang Nirattisaikul, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand
Wiwatana Tanomkiat, M.D. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46475/asean-jr.v27i1.1011

Abstract

On 12 September 2025, a panel of thoracic radiology experts from across Thailand (Figure 1) convened to address key topics in thoracic diagnostic imaging across both the private and public sectors. Organized by the Royal College of Radiologists of Thailand (RCRT) in collaboration with the Foundation for Orphan and Rare Lung Disease (FORLD), the meeting was held at the Conrad Hotel, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. The agenda covered twelve main topics: (1) the new organizational structure of the Radiological Society of Thailand (RST) and the Thai Subsociety of Thoracic Radiology (TSTR), (2) management guidelines for lung nodules detected on CT screening in Thailand, (3) reporting recommendations for coronary arterial calcium scoring on chest CT, (4) CT Protocol and reporting guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of the Asian Society of Thoracic Radiology (ASTR), (5) guidelines for reporting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) findings on CT lung cancer screening, (6) enhancing the competency of junior radiologists in chest radiograph interpretation to support artificial intelligence (AI) integration, (7) updates on national high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), (8) a review of the national HRCT protocol, (9) a proposal for a national low-dose CT (LDCT) protocol for lung cancer screening, (10) imaging and LDCT for screening of ILD in CTD patients, (11) structured reporting guidelines and software for HRCT in patients with suspected or confirmed ILD, and (12) outcomes of estimating fibrotic extent on HRCT.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

World Health O. The top 10 causes of death. 2024.

Vogelmeier CF, Friedrich FW, Timpel P, Kossack N, Diesing J, Pignot M, et al. Comorbidities and Cause of Death in COPD Patients Compared to Non-COPD Controls: An 8-year Observational Retrospective Healthcare Claims Database Cohort Study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2025;20:2117-30.

Hecht HS, Cronin P, Blaha MJ, Budoff MJ, Kazerooni EA, Narula J, et al. 2016 SCCT/STR guidelines for coronary artery calcium scoring of noncontrast noncardiac chest CT scans: A report of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and Society of Thoracic Radiology. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2017;11(1):74-84.

Greenland P, Blaha Michael J, Budoff Matthew J, Erbel R, Watson Karol E. Coronary Calcium Score and Cardiovascular Risk. JACC. 2018;72(4):434-47.

Fan L, Seo JB, Ohno Y, Lee SM, Ashizawa K, Lee KY, et al. Chest CT in the evaluation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: recommendations of Asian Society of Thoracic Radiology. British Journal of Radiology. 2025.

Tungsagunwattana S, Lertrojanapunya S. AIR Pneumo, a project to standardize chest radiograph interpretation of occupational lung diseases in Thailand and ASEAN countries: Challenges and future trends. ASEAN Journal of Radiology. 2025;26(1):56-76.

Tanomkiat W. HRCT protocol for ILD: Version 1/2019. 2019.

Johnson SR, Bernstein EJ, Bolster MB, Chung JH, Danoff SK, George MD, et al. 2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2024;76(8):1051-69.

Antoniou KM, Distler O, Gheorghiu AM, Moor CC, Vikse J, Bizymi N, et al. ERS/EULAR clinical practice guidelines for connective tissue diseases associated interstitial lung disease. Ann Rheum Dis. 2025.

Cereser L, Marchesini F, Di Poi E, Quartuccio L, Zabotti A, Zuiani C, Girometti R. Structured report improves radiology residents' performance in reporting chest high-resolution computed tomography: a study in patients with connective tissue disease. Diagn Interv Radiol. 2022;28(6):569-75.

Raghu G, Collard HR, Egan JJ, Martinez FJ, Behr J, Brown KK, et al. An official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT statement: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis and management. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011;183(6):788-824.

Wiwatana T, Nontakorn A, Siwasak J, Asma N, Boonjing S, Sarayut Lucien G. High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) Disease Patterns and Survival Times in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease at a University Tertiary Hospital in Southern Thailand from 2006 to 2012. Asian Journal of Medical Radiological Research. 2021;9(2).

Raghu G, Remy-Jardin M, Myers JL, Richeldi L, Ryerson CJ, Lederer DJ, et al. Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. An Official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;198(5):e44-e68.

Peris Sánchez R, Fernández-Fabrellas E, Samper GJ, Domingo Montañana ML, Navarro Vilar L. Visual HRCT Score to Determine Severity and Prognosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. International Journal of Respiratory and Pulmonary Medicine. 2018;5(2):084.