title: Quantitative analysis for computed tomography findings of various diffuse lung diseases using volume histogram analysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan. h-sumikawa@radiol.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumikawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johkoh
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahei
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueguchi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Javzandulam
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Natsag
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Mitsuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsubamoto
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mihara
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
authors.forename: Seiki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: 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