Inspiratory and expiratory HRCT findings in Behçet's disease and correlation with pulmonary function tests.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to describe the pulmonary parenchymal changes of Behçet's disease using high-resolution computed tomography and to correlate them with pulmonary function tests.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients with Behçet's disease (18 men, 16 women), 3 of whom were symptomatic, were included as the study group. Four of 34 patients were smokers. Twenty asymptomatic volunteers (12 men, 8 women), 4 of whom were smokers, constituted the control group. The pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography were performed for both groups.


RESULTS
Inspiratory high-resolution computed tomography findings were abnormal in nine patients (26.5%) of the study group. In eight patients, there were multiple abnormalities, whereas one patient had only one abnormality. Pleural thickening and irregularities, major fissure thickening, emphysematous changes, bronchiectasis, parenchymal bands, and irregular densities, and parenchymal nodules were the encountered abnormalities. Inspiratory high-resolution computed tomography scans were normal in the control group. On expiratory scans, there was statistically significant difference between study group and control group when air trapping, especially grades 3 and 4, was compared (P<0.01). Pulmonary function tests of both the study and the control groups were in normal ranges, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups according to pulmonary function tests (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
High-resolution computed tomography is sensitive in the demonstration of pulmonary changes in patients with Behçet's disease. End-expiratory high-resolution computed tomography examination is very useful and necessary to show the presence of air trapping, thus the presence of small airway disease, even if the patient is asymptomatic or has normal pulmonary function tests.
Ozer
Caner
C
Department of Radiology, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. cozer@mersin.edu.tr
Duce
Meltem Nass
MN
Ulubaş
Bahar
B
Biçer
Ali
A
Türsen
Umit
U
Apaydin
F Demir
FD
Yildiz
Altan
A
Camdeviren
Handan
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D045853:Exhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*