CT scores of emphysema and oxygen desaturation during low-grade exercise in patients with emphysema.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the usefulness of CT for assessing oxygen desaturation during walking in patients with emphysema.


METHODS
The study comprised 32 patients with emphysema (mean age 67+/-6 years). Serial CT images of 5 mm were obtained from the apex to the basal regions of the lung during deep inspiration. The severity of emphysema was scored by four physicians according to a visual method. A six-minute walking test and oxygen desaturation (pSO2) measurements were performed.


CONCLUSIONS
The mean CT score of the four observers was significantly correlated with the nadir pSO2 and deltapSO2, but did not correlate with the total distance walked. These results suggest that CT may be used for the assessment of oxygen desaturation during low-grade exercise in patients with emphysema.
Taguchi
O
O
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
Gabazza
E C
EC
Yoshida
M
M
Yasui
H
H
Kobayashi
T
T
Yuda
H
H
Hataji
O
O
Adachi
Y
Y
D000368:Aged; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity / Q000502:physiology*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed