Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Computerized Tomography Indicators of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Their Correlation with Pulmonary Function Tests

Background: With increasingly aging populations, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death today. Emphysematous changes, an important component of the disease, must be determined on HRCT, either qualitatively or quantitatively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate features that help determine emphysematous changes and correlate them with respiratory function tests (RFTs).

Material/Methods: A total of thirty COPD patients and a control group of the same size, matched for age, were included in the study. The mean lung parenchyma density values on inspiration and expiration, visual HRCT scores, and pulmonary function tests were obtained. IBM SPSS statistical software (version 22) was used to perform correlation analysis (Pearson’s coefficient) and the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: The most valuable RFTs for determining emphysematous changes were DLCO, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC, in that order. Quantitative measures of the mean lung density had the highest correlation with coefficient on expiration.

Conclusions: As regards the comparison between objective and subjective density values, the HRCT-based visual density values are satisfactory. On the other hand, the best assessment can be performed with the use of mean density values on expiration. DLCO, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC were found to be valuable parameters in determining parenchymal changes.