Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis: serial high-resolution CT findings with functional correlation.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed serial changes in high-resolution CT findings and pulmonary function in patients with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis.


METHODS
Serial high-resolution CT findings in 13 patients with biopsy-proven nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis (mean follow-up period, 11 months) and pulmonary function tests (mean follow-up period, 11 months) were retrospectively analyzed. On CT, the presence and extent of ground-glass opacity, irregular linear opacity, honeycombing, and consolidation were assessed.


RESULTS
On initial CT, all patients had areas of ground-glass opacity (mean +/- SD, 21.6% +/-14.4) and irregular linear opacity (5.0% +/- 5.2). The areas of ground-glass opacity decreased significantly on follow-up CT (13.5% +/- 10.5, p = .003). The areas of irregular linear opacity decreased slightly (4.2% +/- 5.2, p > .05). Initial forced vital capacity (69.4% +/- 16.0) improved significantly on follow-up examination (83.9% +/- 16.5) (p = .003). The decrease in the extent of ground-glass opacity on CT correlated significantly with changes in forced vital capacity (r = -.702, p = .007) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (r = - .597, p = .031).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with fibrosis, areas of ground-glass opacity decrease on follow-up high-resolution CT, and the extent of decrease correlates significantly with that of functional improvement.
Kim
E Y
EY
Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
K S
KS
Chung
M P
MP
Kwon
O J
OJ
Kim
T S
TS
Hwang
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods