Relationship between regional severity of emphysema and coronary heart disease.
We analyzed the relationship between regional severity of emphysema, which was evaluated by three-dimensional fractal analysis (3D-FA) of Technegas SPECT images, and coronary heart disease (CHD). For 22 patients with emphysema who underwent Technegas SPECT, we followed up CHD events. The follow-up period was 5.4+/-0.5 (mean +/- SD) years. We defined the upper-lung fractal dimension (U-FD) and lower-lung fractal dimension (L-FD) obtained with 3D-FA of Technegas SPECT images as the regional severity of emphysema. FD became greater with the progression of emphysematous change. During the follow-up period, CHD events occurred in 6 (27%) of the 22 patients. The ratio of U-FD to L-FD for patients with CHD events (0.87+/-0.22) was significantly smaller than for patients without CHD events (1.52+/-0.38) (p = 0.0015). These findings suggest that severer emphysema in the lower lung indicates a higher risk of CHD than that in the upper lung.
Nagao
M
M
Department of Radiology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan. minagao@ehime.med.or.jp
Murase
K
K
Ichiki
T
T
Sakai
S
S
Yasuhara
Y
Y
Ikezoe
J
J
D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004646:Emphysema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D017709:Fractals; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
C056708:Technegas; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m