Distorted trachea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the size and configuration of the trachea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; n = 35) on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images and compared them with those of healthy volunteers (n = 24).


METHODS
Using a newly developed computed method for analyzing the digital data of HRCT, the size and configuration of the trachea were automatically evaluated.


RESULTS
The size of the trachea of the COPD subjects was the same as that of the control subjects; however, the configuration was more distorted in the COPD patients. There was no difference in the tracheal index (TI), which is the ratio of the coronal to the sagittal length, between these two groups; however, the ratio of the short to the long radius (SR/LR) was significantly smaller in the COPD group than in the control group. There was a significant correlation between SR/LR and airflow limitation as assessed by pulmonary function tests in the COPD group.


CONCLUSIONS
The SR/LR is a better index of tracheal deformity than the classical TI. This deformity is not a consequence secondary to hyperinflation or emphysematous change of the lung, because the low attenuation area of the lung was not correlated with SR/LR.
Muro
S
S
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
Nakano
Y
Y
Sakai
H
H
Takubo
Y
Y
Oku
Y
Y
Chin
K
K
Nishimura
K
K
Hirai
T
T
Kawakami
K
K
Nakamura
T
T
Mishima
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014132:Trachea / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*