Correlation between HRCT and pulmonary functional tests in cystic fibrosis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the HRCT score by Oikonomou and air trapping in expiratory scans with pulmonary functional tests and evaluate which radiological criteria are more useful to predict clinical impairment.


METHODS
From January to September 2003, pulmonary HRCT study was performed in 37 patients (23 males), aged between 7 and 41 years, with cystic fibrosis. In the same day of CT examination they also received a complete functional evaluation. HRCT studies were evaluated by three radiologists blinded to the clinical data and were correlated with the lung function tests.


RESULTS
We obtained a high correlation (p=0.01) for two of the HRCT signs: extent of mucus plugging and mosaic perfusion pattern and all function tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Previous studies have demonstrated good correlation between lung function tests, in particular with FEV1,and HRCT signs. Our study differed from previous ones in that we analysed the correlation between lung function tests and with both single and combined CT criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that a simplified HRCT score could be useful to evaluate patients with cystic fibrosis.
Mastellari
Paola
P
Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy. paolamast@libero.it
Biggi
Simona
S
Lombardi
Alfonsa
A
Zompatori
Maurizio
M
Grzincich
Gianluigi
G
Pisi
Giovanna
G
Spaggiari
Cinzia
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed