Correlation of the expiratory HRCT and respiratory function testsin ptients with COPD

SUMMARY In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relation between expiratory high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) measurements in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) and assess weather HRCT have any contribution to respiratory function tests (RFT) in staging of COLD or not. Recent developments in imaging and HRCT make an epoch in imaging pulmonary parenchymal diseases. The importance of HRCT is emerging in diagnosis and follow up of pulmonary diseases. In HRCT imagining, bone algorithm is applied (high resolution algorithm) so better images are attained in detection of pulmonary parenchymal pathologies. HRCT and RFT have been applied to 29 patients with COLD. HRCT imagining revealed tubular bronchiectasis in 12 patients, thickening of bronchial wall in 8, emphysema in 12, branching tubular structures in 2, air trapping in 11 and atelectasis in 4. Patients were grouped in two; 8 patients in Group A and 21 patients in Group B. HRCT examination of patients in Group A revealed tubular bronchiectasis in one patient, bronchial wall thickening in one patient, emphysema in 3 patients, air trapping in 2 patients, and atelectasis in 2 patients. No patients had branching tubular structures in Group A. At HRCT examination of 21 patients in group B, 11 had tubular bronchiectasis, 7 had thickening of bronchial wall, 14 has emphysema, 2 had branching tubular structures, 9 had air trapping, 2 had atelectasis. No statistically significant difference was observed in comparision of HRCT findings of two groups in means of tubular bronchiectasis, thickening of bronchial wall, emphysema, branching tubular structures, air trapping and atelectasis,. The FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75, % FEF25-75 measurements in Group A were statistically significant higher than Group B. In Group A and B age, duration of disease, %FVC and smoking duration Packet/year showed no statistically significant difference. A significant correlation was detected between atelectasis and FVC. Emphysema was found to be correlated with duration of disease, FEF25-75 and %FEF25-75. 57Statistically significant correlation was present between smoking and HRCT findings such as tubular bronchiectasis, thickening of bronchial wall, atelectasis and branching tubular structures. The HRCT findings of patients with simple chronic bronchiolitis in Group A and Group B showed no significant difference. We conclude that HRCT had no additional benefit in classification of COLD. 58