Quantitative analysis for computed tomography findings of various diffuse lung diseases using volume histogram analysis.
OBJECTIVE
: The aim of this study was to achieve the quantitative analysis of the characteristic computed tomography (CT) findings and course of interstitial pneumonia using the volume histogram method.


METHODS
: Contrast (CNT), variance (VAR), and entropy (EPY) values from whole-lung volume data were compared between normal lungs and 5 diseases that have characteristic CT findings. Thirteen cases with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) were evaluated before and after treatment.


RESULTS
: In cases with thickening of the bronchovascular bundles and interlobular thickening, ground-glass attenuation, airspace consolidation, and honeycombing, the values of VAR and EPY were greater than those in the normal cases (P < 0.05). In the cases with NSIP, the CNT value after treatment was significantly greater and the values of VAR and EPY after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
: Volume histogram analysis is a promising method for the evaluation of diffuse lung diseases and the effectiveness of treatment.
Sumikawa
Hiromitsu
H
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan. h-sumikawa@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Johkoh
Takeshi
T
Yamamoto
Shuji
S
Takahei
Kazunari
K
Ueguchi
Takashi
T
Ogata
Yuji
Y
Matsumoto
Mitsuhiro
M
Fujita
Yuka
Y
Natsag
Javzandulam
J
Inoue
Atsuo
A
Tsubamoto
Mitsuko
M
Mihara
Naoki
N
Honda
Osamu
O
Tomiyama
Noriyuki
N
Hamada
Seiki
S
Nakamura
Hironobu
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome