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BACKGROUND: High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is dependent on detailed morphology in diagnostic assessment of interstitial lung diseases. Photon-counting CT (PCCT) enables improved resolution while reducing radiation. PURPOSE: To compare if the image quality, detailed morphology, and radiation dose in HRCT of the lung improves with PCCT compared to energy-integrated CT (EICT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: HRCT with PCCT in patients with body mass index (BMI) from normal to obese, previously examined with different EICT were included. They were evaluated in a five-step scale for image quality according to Quality Criteria for CT (Diagnostic Requirement of the ImPACT group-European standardization). In addition, ground-glass opacities, bronchiectasis, emphysema, nodules, and subpleural detailed morphology (≤1 cm from the pleural border) were evaluated by three independent thoracic and/or pediatric radiologists. Visual grading characteristics (VGC) were used for comparison of image quality and detailed morphology and Fleiss kappa for intra-observer variability. Dose-length product (DLP) and CT dose index-volume (CTDIvol) were collected to calculate effective radiation dose. RESULTS: HRCT with PCCT in 52 women and 48 men (mean age=67.2 ± 13.6 years; age range=27-87 years; BMI=26.9 kg/m2; range=18.6-45 kg/m2) previously examined with EICT (mean age=65.3 ± 13.6 years; age range=27-85 years; BMI=27 kg/m2; range=18.9-45 kg/m2) were included. There were significant differences in image quality for all entities in favor of PCCT. The radiation dose was reduced with PCCT by 47% in all, particularly pronounced in obese with 48.5%. CONCLUSION: Image quality, detailed morphology, and radiation dose, particularly in obese patients, were significantly improved in HRCT with PCCT compared to conventional EICT. The new technique enables visualization of subpleural structures.
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BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on the incidence of central venous catheter tip misplacements after the implementation of ultrasound guidance during insertion. The aims of the present study were to determine the incidence of tip misplacements and to identify independent variables associated with tip misplacement. METHODS: All jugular and subclavian central venous catheter insertions in patients ≥16 years with a post-procedural chest radiography at four hospitals were included. Each case was reviewed for relevant catheter data and radiologic evaluations of chest radiographies. Tip misplacements were classified as 'any tip misplacement', 'minor tip misplacement' or 'major tip misplacement'. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations between predefined independent variables and tip misplacements. RESULTS: A total of 8556 central venous catheter insertions in 5587 patients were included. Real-time ultrasound guidance was used in 91% of all insertions. Any tip misplacement occurred (95% confidence interval) in 3.7 (3.3-4.1)% of the catheterisations, and 2.1 (1.8-2.4)% were classified as major tip misplacements. The multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that female patient gender, subclavian vein insertions, number of skin punctures and limited operator experience were associated with a higher risk of major tip misplacement, whereas increasing age and height were associated with a lower risk. CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective multicentre cohort study, performed in the ultrasound-guided era, we demonstrated the incidence of tip misplacements to be 3.7 (3.3-4.1)%. Right internal jugular vein catheterisation had the lowest incidence of both minor and major tip misplacement.
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Cateterismo Venoso Central , Cateteres Venosos Centrais , Humanos , Feminino , Cateterismo Venoso Central/efeitos adversos , Cateteres Venosos Centrais/efeitos adversos , Estudos Prospectivos , Estudos de Coortes , Ultrassonografia , Veias Jugulares/diagnóstico por imagem , Ultrassonografia de IntervençãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The right internal jugular vein is currently recommended for temporary central dialysis catheters (tCDC) based on results from previous studies showing a lower incidence of central vein stenosis compared to the subclavian vein. Data is however conflicting, and there are several advantages when the subclavian route is used for tCDCs. This prospective, controlled, randomised, non-inferiority study aims to compare the incidence of post-catheterisation central vein stenosis between the right subclavian and the right internal jugular routes. METHODS: Adult patients needing a tCDC will be included from several hospitals and randomised to either subclavian or internal jugular vein catheterisation with a silicone tCDC. Inclusion continues until 50 patients in each group have undergone a follow-up CT venography. The primary outcome is the incidence of post-catheterisation central vein stenosis detected by a CT venography performed 1.5 to 3 months after removal of the tCDC. Secondary outcomes include between-group comparisons of (I) the patients' experience of discomfort and pain, (II) any dysfunction of the tCDC during use, (III) catheterisation success rate and (IV) the number of mechanical complications. Furthermore, the ability to detect central vein stenosis by a focused ultrasound examination will be evaluated using the CT venography as golden standard. DISCUSSION: The use of the subclavian route for tCDC placement has largely been abandoned due to older studies with various methodological issues. However, the subclavian route offers several advantages for the patient. This trial is designed to provide robust data on the incidence of central vein stenosis after silicone tCDC insertion in the era of ultrasound-guided catheterisations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT04871568. Prospectively registered on May 4, 2021.
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Cateterismo Venoso Central , Doenças Vasculares , Adulto , Humanos , Cateterismo Venoso Central/efeitos adversos , Cateterismo Venoso Central/métodos , Catéteres , Constrição Patológica , Veias Jugulares/diagnóstico por imagem , Estudos Prospectivos , Diálise Renal/efeitos adversos , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como AssuntoRESUMO
PFI Pulmonary Functional Imaging (PFI) refers to visualization and measurement of ventilation, perfusion, gas flow and exchange as well as biomechanics. In this review, we will highlight the historical development of PFI, describing recent advances and listing the various techniques for PFI offered per modality. Challenges PFI is facing and requirements for PFI from a clinical point of view will be pointed out. Hereby the review is meant as an introduction to PFI.
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Pulmão , Artéria Pulmonar , Humanos , Pulmão/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
We introduce a multi-institutional data harvesting (MIDH) method for longitudinal observation of medical imaging utilization and reporting. By tracking both large-scale utilization and clinical imaging results data, the MIDH approach is targeted at measuring surrogates for important disease-related observational quantities over time. To quantitatively investigate its clinical applicability, we performed a retrospective multi-institutional study encompassing 13 healthcare systems throughout the United States before and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Using repurposed software infrastructure of a commercial AI-based image analysis service, we harvested data on medical imaging service requests and radiology reports for 40,037 computed tomography pulmonary angiograms (CTPA) to evaluate for pulmonary embolism (PE). Specifically, we compared two 70-day observational periods, namely (i) a pre-pandemic control period from 11/25/2019 through 2/2/2020, and (ii) a period during the early COVID-19 pandemic from 3/8/2020 through 5/16/2020. Natural language processing (NLP) on final radiology reports served as the ground truth for identifying positive PE cases, where we found an NLP accuracy of 98% for classifying radiology reports as positive or negative for PE based on a manual review of 2,400 radiology reports. Fewer CTPA exams were performed during the early COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-pandemic period (9806 vs. 12,106). However, the PE positivity rate was significantly higher (11.6 vs. 9.9%, p < 10-4) with an excess of 92 PE cases during the early COVID-19 outbreak, i.e., ~1.3 daily PE cases more than statistically expected. Our results suggest that MIDH can contribute value as an exploratory tool, aiming at a better understanding of pandemic-related effects on healthcare.
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BACKGROUND: Central venous catheter (CVC) misplacement occurs frequently after right subclavian vein catheterization. It can be avoided by using ultrasound to confirm correct guidewire tip position in the lower superior vena cava prior to CVC insertion. However, retraction of the guidewire during the CVC insertion may dislocate the guidewire tip from its desired and confirmed position, thereby resulting in CVC misplacement. The aim of this study was to determine the minimal guidewire length required to maintain correct guidewire tip position in the lower superior vena cava throughout an ultrasound-guided CVC placement in the right subclavian vein. METHODS: One hundred adult patients with a computed tomography scan of the chest were included. By using multiplanar reconstructions from thin-sliced images, the distance from the most plausible distal puncture site of the right subclavian vein to the optimal guidewire tip position in the lower superior vena cava was measured (vessel length). In addition, measurements of equipment in common commercial over-the-wire percutaneous 15-16 cm CVC kits were performed. The 95th percentile of the vessel length was used to calculate the required minimal guidewire length for each CVC kit. RESULTS: The 95th percentile of the vessel length was 153 mm. When compared to the calculated minimal guidewire length, the guidewires were up to 108 mm too short in eight of eleven CVC kits. CONCLUSION: After confirmation of a correct guidewire position, retraction of the guidewire tip above the junction of the brachiocephalic veins should be avoided prior to CVC insertion in order to preclude dislocation of the catheter tip towards the right internal jugular vein or the left subclavian vein. This study shows that many commercial over-the-wire percutaneous 15-16 cm CVC kits contain guidewires that are too short for right subclavian vein catheterization, i.e., guidewire retraction is needed prior to CVC insertion.
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Cateterismo Venoso Central , Cateteres Venosos Centrais , Adulto , Humanos , Veias Jugulares , Veia Subclávia/diagnóstico por imagem , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Veia Cava Superior/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Accurate assessment of lymph node (LN) status is essential for proper staging of resected lung cancer specimens. Here, we assessed pathology-centric interventions to increase the number of peribronchial LNs identified and evaluated in anatomic lung cancer resection specimens as part of a quality improvement initiative. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) anatomic resection specimens from 2017 to 2020 were evaluated, comprising two years pre-intervention and one year post-intervention. We instituted 3 measures to increase peribronchial LN yield: 1) educational grossing sessions for pathology assistants and residents, 2) directions to submit additional peribronchial tissue if no LNs were identified grossly, and 3) a hard-stop prior to sign-out by the attending pathologist if no peribronchial LNs were identified. RESULTS: Of the total 227 resection specimens for NSCLC, 107/151 (70.9%) of specimens prior to the intervention had peribronchial LNs identified, whereas after the intervention significantly more (66/76, 86.8%, p < 0.01) specimens had peribronchial LNs identified. In addition, the mean number of peribronchial LNs identified significantly increased from 2.7 ± 3.3 pre-intervention to 4.3 ± 4.0 post-intervention (p < 0.001). Further analysis revealed a strong correlation between peribronchial LN metastases with both overall tumor size and invasive component size (for adenocarcinomas), correlation coefficient 0.974, p < 0.0001. CONCLUSION: Establishing focused grossing measures by pathology led to a significant increase in the number of peribronchial LNs identified and assessed during histopathologic evaluation of anatomic lung cancer resection specimens. Larger tumors are more likely to have occult peribronchial LN metastases, which may warrant more aggressive peribronchial LN assessment for larger tumors.
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Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Melhoria de Qualidade/normas , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Estadiamento de NeoplasiasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patent false lumen has been shown to have a negative impact on prognosis after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). We aimed to assess the effect of postoperative anticoagulation on false lumen patency and clinical outcomes in relation to false lumen status. METHODS: Postoperative computed tomographies of 156 patients undergoing ATAAD DeBakey type I surgery were retrospectively evaluated for false lumen patency. The patients were divided into groups determined by anticoagulation treatment at discharge. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression was used for analysing the effect of anticoagulation on the false lumen, and Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to assess the association of a patent false lumen with the incidence of reoperation and long-term survival. RESULTS: A patent false lumen was present in 81% of the patients. Postoperative anticoagulants were not associated with a patent false lumen (p = 0.48) in univariable analysis. In multivariable analysis, both hemiarch replacement (OR 0.15, CI95% 0.05-0.49, p = 0.001) and the use of betablockers had a protective effect (OR 0.29, CI95% 0.10-0.85, p = 0.023). The Kaplan-Meier estimates for survival and the composite endpoint of survival and freedom from distal reintervention indicated no difference in outcome between patients in regard to anticoagulation treatment (survival p = 0.43, composite p = 0.82) or false lumen status (survival p = 0.21, composite p = 0.09). CONCLUSION: This study could not show negative effects from the postoperative use of anticoagulants on false lumen status, nor that false lumen patency was associated with poorer prognosis. A hemiarch procedure was shown to be associated with reduced risk of false lumen patency.
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Aneurisma da Aorta Torácica , Dissecção Aórtica , Implante de Prótese Vascular , Doença Aguda , Dissecção Aórtica/diagnóstico por imagem , Dissecção Aórtica/cirurgia , Anticoagulantes , Aneurisma da Aorta Torácica/cirurgia , Humanos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Resultado do Tratamento , Grau de Desobstrução VascularRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although tuberculosis accounts for the highest mortality from a bacterial infection on a global scale, questions persist regarding its origin. One hypothesis based on modern Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) genomes suggests their most recent common ancestor followed human migrations out of Africa approximately 70,000 years before present. However, studies using ancient genomes as calibration points have yielded much younger dates of less than 6000 years. Here, we aim to address this discrepancy through the analysis of the highest-coverage and highest-quality ancient MTBC genome available to date, reconstructed from a calcified lung nodule of Bishop Peder Winstrup of Lund (b. 1605-d. 1679). RESULTS: A metagenomic approach for taxonomic classification of whole DNA content permitted the identification of abundant DNA belonging to the human host and the MTBC, with few non-TB bacterial taxa comprising the background. Genomic enrichment enabled the reconstruction of a 141-fold coverage M. tuberculosis genome. In utilizing this high-quality, high-coverage seventeenth-century genome as a calibration point for dating the MTBC, we employed multiple Bayesian tree models, including birth-death models, which allowed us to model pathogen population dynamics and data sampling strategies more realistically than those based on the coalescent. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our metagenomic analysis demonstrate the unique preservation environment calcified nodules provide for DNA. Importantly, we estimate a most recent common ancestor date for the MTBC of between 2190 and 4501 before present and for Lineage 4 of between 929 and 2084 before present using multiple models, confirming a Neolithic emergence for the MTBC.
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Genoma Bacteriano , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genética , África , Teorema de Bayes , História do Século XVII , Humanos , Pulmão , Metagenômica , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/classificação , Filogenia , Filogeografia , Tuberculose/história , Tuberculose/microbiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been suggested to cause exocrine pancreatic dysfunction. However, a case-control-based autopsy study failed to associate systemic sclerosis with any pancreatic histopathology. The primary objective of this study was to examine the exocrine pancreatic function in consecutive SSc patients in relation to an age- and sex-matched control group. A secondary objective was to relate exocrine pancreatic function to radiological, laboratory, and clinical SSc characteristics. METHODS: One hundred twelve consecutive patients fulfilling the 2013 American Congress of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria for SSc and 52 control subjects were matched for sex and age. Exocrine pancreatic function was assessed by ELISA-based measurement of fecal elastase, and levels ≤ 200 µg/g were considered pathological, i.e., representing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Patients were characterized regarding SSc manifestations including gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary function, by use of laboratory and clinical examinations. Pancreas parenchyma characteristics were evaluated by high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT). RESULTS: A similar proportion of subjects exhibited pathological levels of fecal elastase among SSc patients (6/112; 5.4%) and control subjects (3/52; 5.8%). Patients with fecal elastase ≤ 200 µg/g did not differ from other SSc patients with respect to laboratory and clinical characteristics, including malnutrition. SSc subjects with low levels of fecal elastase displayed significantly lower pancreas attenuation on HRCT examinations compared to the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In this study encompassing 112 consecutive SSc patients and 52 matched control subjects, we were unable to associate systemic sclerosis with clinically significant exocrine pancreatic dysfunction.
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Insuficiência Pancreática Exócrina/fisiopatologia , Fezes/enzimologia , Pâncreas Exócrino/fisiologia , Elastase Pancreática/metabolismo , Escleroderma Sistêmico/fisiopatologia , Idoso , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Insuficiência Pancreática Exócrina/diagnóstico , Insuficiência Pancreática Exócrina/diagnóstico por imagem , Feminino , Trato Gastrointestinal/diagnóstico por imagem , Trato Gastrointestinal/fisiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pâncreas Exócrino/diagnóstico por imagem , Escleroderma Sistêmico/diagnóstico , Escleroderma Sistêmico/diagnóstico por imagem , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Organ donation guidelines recommend a "clear" conventional bedside chest radiograph before lung transplantation despite only moderate accuracy for cardiopulmonary abnormalities. PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of donor image interpretation on lung transplantation outcome in recipients by following early and late complications, one-year survival, and to correlate imaging findings and blood gas analysis with lung transplantation outcome in recipients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 35 lung donors from a single institution clinical reports and study reviews of imaging findings of the mandatory bedside chest radiographs and blood gas analyses were compared with clinical outcome in 38 recipients. Hospitalization time, peri- and postoperative complications, early complications (primary graft dysfunction, infection), 30-day and one-year survival, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s percentage of predicted normal value (FEV1%) at one-year follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: Findings in clinical reports and study reviews differed substantially, e.g. regarding reported decompensation, edema, infection, and atelectasis. No correlation was shown between imaging findings in clinical report or study review and blood gas analyses in the lung donors compared to postoperative outcome in recipients. CONCLUSION: The interpretation of the mandatory chest radiograph in its present form does not influence one-year outcome in lung transplantation. Larger imaging studies or a change in clinical routine including computed tomography may provide evidence for future guidelines.
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The presence of bacteria in the lower airways in COPD results in inflammation, further airway structural damage, and might lead to repeated exacerbations. We have previously shown that chronic colonization of Haemophilus influenzae during stable disease is related to increased inflammation, and we now aimed to relate previous findings of bacterial colonization and inflammation to the degree of radiological findings of bronchiectasis and emphysema. Thirty-nine patients with COPD were included in their stable state, and a high-resolution computed tomography of the lung was performed. They were followed-up monthly for up to a maximum of 6 months or until exacerbation, and they answered questionnaires, performed spirometry, and induced sputum at every visit. Thirty-five patients had emphysema with an emphysema degree of median 20% (interquartile range 10-50), and five patients had bronchiectasis, of which only four could expectorate sputum. The degree of emphysema correlated with several inflammatory mediators in sputum, such as interleukin-8 concentration, myeloperoxidase activity, and Leukotriene B4 concentration. Ten patients were chronically colonized with H. influenzae (ie, had a positive culture for H. influenzae at all visits). The four sputum patients with bronchiectasis were chronically colonized with H. influenzae and showed higher degree of H. influenzae growth compared to patients without bronchiectasis. During exacerbation, there was no longer any correlation between emphysema degree and inflammation, but patients with bronchiectasis showed higher sputum purulence score than patients without bronchiectasis. Emphysema and bronchiectasis in COPD patients show different clinical features. The presence of emphysema is more related to inflammation, while bronchiectasis is associated with bacterial colonization. We believe that both emphysema and bronchiectasis are therefore COPD phenotypes of highest impact and need evaluation to prevent further disease progression.
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Bronquiectasia/microbiologia , Infecções por Haemophilus/microbiologia , Haemophilus influenzae/isolamento & purificação , Pulmão/microbiologia , Pneumonia Bacteriana/microbiologia , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/microbiologia , Enfisema Pulmonar/microbiologia , Escarro/microbiologia , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Bronquiectasia/diagnóstico por imagem , Bronquiectasia/fisiopatologia , Progressão da Doença , Feminino , Infecções por Haemophilus/diagnóstico por imagem , Infecções por Haemophilus/fisiopatologia , Haemophilus influenzae/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Humanos , Pulmão/diagnóstico por imagem , Pulmão/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fenótipo , Pneumonia Bacteriana/diagnóstico por imagem , Pneumonia Bacteriana/fisiopatologia , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/diagnóstico por imagem , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/fisiopatologia , Enfisema Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagem , Enfisema Pulmonar/fisiopatologia , Fatores de Risco , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic imaging that potential lung donors undergo, the reader variability of image interpretation and its relevance for donation, and the potential information gained from imaging studies not primarily intended for lung evaluation but partially including them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bedside chest radiography and computed tomography (CT), completely or incompletely including the lungs, of 110 brain-dead potential organ donors in a single institution during 2007 to 2014 were reviewed from a donation perspective. Two chest radiologists in consensus analyzed catheters and cardiovascular, parenchymal, and pleural findings. Clinical reports and study review were compared for substantial differences in findings that could have led to a treatment change, triggered additional examinations such as bronchoscopy, or were considered important for donation. RESULTS: Among 136 bedside chest radiographs, no differences between clinical reports and study reviews were found in 37 (27%), minor differences were found in 28 (21%), and substantial differences were found in 71 (52%) examinations (P<0.0001). In 31 of 42 (74%) complete or incomplete CT examinations, 50 of 74 findings with relevance for lung donation were not primarily reported (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of donor patients undergo only chest radiography. A targeted imaging review of abnormalities affecting the decision to use donor lungs may be useful in the preoperative stage. With a targeted list, substantial changes were made from initial clinical interpretations. CT can provide valuable information on donor lung pathology, even if the lungs are only partially imaged.
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Transplante de Pulmão , Pulmão/anatomia & histologia , Radiografia Torácica/métodos , Doadores de Tecidos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estudos Retrospectivos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Interstitial lung disease often occurs as an early complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim was to investigate whether impulse oscillometry (IOS) could be used to evaluate lung impairment in SSc. METHODS: Seventy-eight SSc patients, of which 65 had limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) and 13 had diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), were subjected to high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (spirometry, IOS, and single breath CO diffusion capacity test). Twenty-six healthy individuals served as controls. RESULTS: Patients with lcSSc had higher levels of peripheral airway resistance, that is, R5-R20 (difference between resistance at 5 Hz and resistance at 20 Hz) showed a median (and interquartile range) of 0.05 (0.02-0.09) in lcSSc, 0.01 (0.00-0.04) in dcSSc and 0.04 (0.01-0.06) in healthy controls. They also had higher levels of reactance: reactance area was 0.26 (0.15-0.56) in lcSSc, 0.20 (0.11-0.29) in dcSSc and 0.18 (0.08-0.30) in healthy controls, and resonant frequency was 10.9 (8.8-14.8) in lcSSc, 9.0 (8.3-11.6) in dcSSc and 9.1 (8.0-13.1) in healthy controls. Airway reactance correlated to fibrotic findings on HRCT, such as ground glass opacities and reticulations. DISCUSSION: This implies that IOS parameters to some extent are related to fibrosis in patients with SSc.
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PURPOSE: Many medical image analysis systems require segmentation of the structures of interest as a first step. For scans with gross pathology, automatic segmentation methods may fail. The authors' aim is to develop a versatile, fast, and reliable interactive system to segment anatomical structures. In this study, this system was used for segmenting lungs in challenging thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans. METHODS: In volumetric thoracic CT scans, the chest is segmented and divided into 3D volumes of interest (VOIs), containing voxels with similar densities. These VOIs are automatically labeled as either lung tissue or nonlung tissue. The automatic labeling results can be corrected using an interactive or a supervised interactive approach. When using the supervised interactive system, the user is shown the classification results per slice, whereupon he/she can adjust incorrect labels. The system is retrained continuously, taking the corrections and approvals of the user into account. In this way, the system learns to make a better distinction between lung tissue and nonlung tissue. When using the interactive framework without supervised learning, the user corrects all incorrectly labeled VOIs manually. Both interactive segmentation tools were tested on 32 volumetric CT scans of pigs, mice and humans, containing pulmonary abnormalities. RESULTS: On average, supervised interactive lung segmentation took under 9 min of user interaction. Algorithm computing time was 2 min on average, but can easily be reduced. On average, 2.0% of all VOIs in a scan had to be relabeled. Lung segmentation using the interactive segmentation method took on average 13 min and involved relabeling 3.0% of all VOIs on average. The resulting segmentations correspond well to manual delineations of eight axial slices per scan, with an average Dice similarity coefficient of 0.933. CONCLUSIONS: The authors have developed two fast and reliable methods for interactive lung segmentation in challenging chest CT images. Both systems do not require prior knowledge of the scans under consideration and work on a variety of scans.
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Pulmão/diagnóstico por imagem , Radiografia Torácica/métodos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodos , Algoritmos , Animais , Inteligência Artificial , Doença Crônica , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Humanos , Imageamento Tridimensional/métodos , Transplante de Pulmão , Camundongos , Reconhecimento Automatizado de Padrão/métodos , Pneumonia/diagnóstico por imagem , Suínos , Tempo , Tuberculose/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary involvement, manifested as pulmonary arterial hypertension or pulmonary fibrosis, is the most common cause of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We aimed to explore the feasibility of detecting early pulmonary involvement in SSc using recently developed non-invasive quantitative measures of pulmonary physiology using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS: Twenty-seven SSc patients (9 men, 57 ± 13 years) and 10 healthy controls (3 men, 54 ± 9 years) underwent CMR to determine the pulmonary blood volume (PBV) and the PBV variation (PBVV) throughout the cardiac cycle. Patients underwent Doppler echocardiography, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and pulmonary function testing by spirometry. Comparisons were performed using the unpaired t-test and linear regression analysis was performed with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, the PBV indexed to lung volume (PBVI) was lower in patients (16 ± 4 vs 20 ± 5%, p < 0.05). There was no difference in PBV (466 ± 87 vs 471 ± 122 mL, p = 0.91) or PBVV/stroke volume (45 ± 10 vs 40 ± 6%, p = 0.09). There were no significant correlations between PBVI and pulmonary artery pressure estimated by Doppler (p = 0.08) the lung's diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (p = 0.09), vital capacity (p = 0.45), or pulmonary fibrosis by HRCT (p = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to measure the PBV in humans using CMR. Compared to healthy controls, newly diagnosed SSc patients have a reduced amount of blood in the pulmonary vasculature (PBVI) but unchanged pulmonary vascular distensibility (PBVV/stroke volume). PBVI is unrelated to DLCO, pulmonary artery pressure, vital capacity, and the presence of pulmonary fibrosis. PBVI may be a novel parameter reflecting vascular lung involvement in early-stage SSc, and these findings may be consistent with pathophysiological changes of the pulmonary vasculature.
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Volume Sanguíneo , Hipertensão Pulmonar/diagnóstico , Medidas de Volume Pulmonar , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Artéria Pulmonar/fisiopatologia , Circulação Pulmonar , Fibrose Pulmonar/diagnóstico , Escleroderma Sistêmico/complicações , Adulto , Idoso , Pressão Arterial , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Ecocardiografia Doppler , Hipertensão Pulmonar Primária Familiar , Feminino , Humanos , Hipertensão Pulmonar/etiologia , Hipertensão Pulmonar/fisiopatologia , Modelos Lineares , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Estudos Prospectivos , Capacidade de Difusão Pulmonar , Fibrose Pulmonar/etiologia , Fibrose Pulmonar/fisiopatologia , Espirometria , Volume Sistólico , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Capacidade VitalRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Decision on treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) related interstitial lung disease (ILD) largely relies on the findings on high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and there is a need for improvement in assessment of the fibrotic activity. The objectives of this study were to study biomarkers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from SSc patients with ILD and to relate the findings to the severity and activity of lung fibrosis. METHODS: Fifteen patients with early SSc and 12 healthy controls were subjected to BAL. Cell counts and analyses of CXCL5, CXCL8 and S100A8/A9 were performed in BALF and serum. COMP and KL-6 were measured in serum. HRCT of lungs was quantified for ground glass opacities (GGO), reticulation and traction bronchiectases. RESULTS: BALF concentrations of CXCL8 (p < 0.001), CXCL5 (p = 0.002) and S100A8/A9 (p = 0.016) were higher in patients than controls. Serum KL-6 (p < 0.001) was increased in SSc patients and correlated with BALF concentration of eosinophils (rS = 0.57, p = 0.027). Patients with more widespread GGO on HRCT were characterised in BALF by a higher eosinophil count (p = 0.002) and in serum by higher KL-6 (p = 0.008). Patients with more fibrosis were characterised in BALF by higher eosinophil count (p = 0.014), higher CXCL8 (p = 0.005) and S100A8A/A9 (p = 0.014) concentration and in serum by a higher serum COMP (p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: In SSc related ILD, biomarkers from BALF and serum correlate to findings on HRCT suggesting usefulness as markers of presence and extent of lung fibrosis.
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Líquido da Lavagem Broncoalveolar/química , Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais/etiologia , Fibrose Pulmonar/etiologia , Escleroderma Sistêmico/complicações , Adulto , Idoso , Biomarcadores/análise , Biomarcadores/sangue , Calgranulina A/análise , Proteína de Matriz Oligomérica de Cartilagem/sangue , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Quimiocina CXCL5/análise , Eosinófilos/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Interleucina-8/análise , Contagem de Leucócitos , Estudos Longitudinais , Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais/diagnóstico , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mucina-1/sangue , Fibrose Pulmonar/diagnóstico , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To design and validate a scoring system for tomosynthesis (digital tomography) in pulmonary cystic fibrosis. METHODS: A scoring system dedicated to tomosynthesis in pulmonary cystic fibrosis was designed. Three radiologists independently scored 88 pairs of radiographs and tomosynthesis examinations of the chest in 60 patients with cystic fibrosis and 7 oncology patients. Radiographs were scored according to the Brasfield scoring system and tomosynthesis examinations were scored using the new scoring system. RESULTS: Observer agreements for the tomosynthesis score were almost perfect for the total score with square-weighted kappa >0.90, and generally substantial to almost perfect for subscores. Correlation between the tomosynthesis score and the Brasfield score was good for the three observers (Kendall's rank correlation tau 0.68, 0.77 and 0.78). Tomosynthesis was generally scored higher as a percentage of the maximum score. Observer agreements for the total score for Brasfield score were almost perfect (square-weighted kappa 0.80, 0.81 and 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: The tomosynthesis scoring system seems robust and correlates well with the Brasfield score. Compared with radiography, tomosynthesis is more sensitive to cystic fibrosis changes, especially bronchiectasis and mucus plugging, and the new tomosynthesis scoring system offers the possibility of more detailed and accurate scoring of disease severity. KEY POINTS: Tomosynthesis is more sensitive than conventional radiography for pulmonary cystic fibrosis changes. The radiation dose from chest tomosynthesis is low compared with computed tomography. Tomosynthesis may become useful in the regular follow-up of patients with cystic fibrosis.
Assuntos
Fibrose Cística/diagnóstico por imagem , Radiografia Torácica/métodos , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: COMP is a regulator of assembly and maintenance of the fibrillar collagen I and II networks. Serum COMP reflects skin fibrosis in SSc. The purpose of this study was to examine whether serum COMP reflects fibrotic lung involvement in SSc patients and to study if serum COMP predicts mortality. METHODS: Three overlapping cohorts of 244 SSc patients were studied. Two hundred and eighteen patients were included to study survival, 80 patients to study longitudinal changes of pulmonary function tests and 64 to study pulmonary involvement assessed by high-resolution CT (HRCT). Serum COMP was measured by ELISA. Skin involvement was assessed with the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS). Data about survival were obtained from the central population registry. RESULTS: Serum COMP measured within 5 years after the first non-Raynaud's manifestation was a predictor of death, and crude mortality increased by 6% for each COMP unit elevation. Serum COMP levels >15 U/l were associated with a 3.13-fold (95% CI 1.73, 5.64; P < 0.001) increased risk of death. During the first year of follow-up serum COMP and vital capacity (VC) changed inversely (r(s) = -0.32; P = 0.005), but there were no correlations between baseline serum COMP and concurrent findings by spirometry or HRCT. CONCLUSION: Serum COMP early in disease is a predictor of mortality in SSc patients. Serum COMP changes in parallel with lung fibrosis as measured by VC, but the release from fibrotic skin possibly obscures the influx from the lungs and therefore serum COMP seems to have little utility as a marker of lung fibrosis.
Assuntos
Proteínas da Matriz Extracelular/sangue , Glicoproteínas/sangue , Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais/mortalidade , Escleroderma Sistêmico/mortalidade , Adulto , Idoso , Autoanticorpos/sangue , Biomarcadores/sangue , Proteína de Matriz Oligomérica de Cartilagem , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Estudos Longitudinais , Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais/sangue , Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais/complicações , Masculino , Proteínas Matrilinas , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Testes de Função Respiratória , Estudos Retrospectivos , Escleroderma Sistêmico/sangue , Escleroderma Sistêmico/complicações , Índice de Gravidade de DoençaRESUMO
PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation which is not fully reversible. Despite the heterogeneity of COPD, its diagnosis and staging is currently based solely on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)). FEV(1) does not explain the underlying pathophysiology of airflow limitation. The relationship between FEV(1), symptoms and emphysema extent is weak. Better diagnostic tools are needed to define COPD. Tomographic lung scintigraphy [ventilation/perfusion single photon emission tomography (V/P SPECT)] visualizes regional V and P. In COPD, relations between V/P SPECT, spirometry, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and symptoms have been insufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to investigate how lung function imaging and obstructive disease grading undertaken using V/P SPECT correlate with symptoms, spirometric lung function and degree of emphysema assessed with HRCT in patients with COPD. METHODS: Thirty patients with stable COPD were evaluated with the Medical Research Council dyspnoea questionnaire (MRC) and the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ). Spirometry was performed. The extent of emphysema was assessed using HRCT. V/P SPECT was used to assess V/P patterns, total reduction in lung function and degree of obstructive disease. RESULTS: The total reduction in lung function and degree of obstructive disease, assessed with V/P SPECT, significantly correlated with emphysema extent (r = 0.66-0.69, p < 0.0001) and spirometric lung function (r = 0.62-0.74, p < 0.0005). The correlation between emphysema extent and spirometric lung function was weaker. No correlation between MRC, CCQ and objective measurements was found. CONCLUSION: V/P SPECT is sensitive to early changes in COPD. V/P SPECT also has the possibility to identify comorbid disease. V/P SPECT findings show a significant correlation with emphysema extent and spirometric lung function. We therefore recommend that scintigraphic signs of COPD, whenever found, should be reported. V/P SPECT can also be used to categorize the severity of functional changes in COPD as mild, moderate or severe.