ERS | monograph Preface Robert Bals “A picture is worth a thousand words” Imaging of the lungs is a central step in the diagnosis of lung disease. While the classical chest image has its role in daily practice, in recent years multiple new techniques have been developed that often involve the use of computerised complex data analysis. Most respiratory physicians and other caregivers in respiratory medicine look at images of the lung on a daily basis. In comparison with other areas of medicine, imaging techniques are a major part of the diagnostic workup of patients with lung disease. For example, imaging techniques are critical for the diagnosis of pneumonia, essential for staging lung cancer and vital to the classification of interstitial lung disease. The use of imaging techniques in respiratory medicine also involves the close interaction of several disciplines, resulting in the constructive exchange of knowledge from different areas. This ERS Monograph comprises chapters on specific techniques, such as MRI methods, chest radiography, and radionucleotide imaging, as well as individual disease areas. Additional sections focus on the use of imaging techniques in drug development and address safety and risk management when using imaging techniques. The book also considers the speed at which developments have been made in medical technology. The application of computerised and highly specialised technologies implies the need for close communication between respiratory and imaging physicians. This multidisciplinary approach is reflected in the range of authors selected to write in this Monograph, providing readers with different views on the patient. The Guest Editors, R. Graham Barr, David G. Parr and Jens Vogel-Claussen, worked hard and very successfully in selecting the topics covered and integrating the different aspects of imaging into a comprehensive book on the current knowledge in the field. I would like to thank the Guest Editors and all authors for their work on this excellent book. I hope readers find this book useful in their daily clinical practice. Copyright ©ERS 2015. Print ISBN: 978-1-84984-065-1. Online ISBN: 978-1-84984-066-8. Print ISSN: 2312-508X. Online ISSN: 2312-5098. ERS Monogr 2015 70: v. DOI: 10.1183/2312508X.10002916 v