title: Detection of age-related changes in thoracic structure and function by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography.
abstract: It is useful to understand the normal changes in structure and function in the thorax that occur with age. Thus, we present the following quantitative preliminary data obtained from retrospective quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) examinations in subjects 0 to 90 years of age: Mean lung standard uptake values were found to significantly increase with increasing age and with increasing body mass index (BMI). Mean lung attenuation was seen to statistically significantly decrease with increasing age in subjects who had a CT scan, had a nonsignificant tendency to decrease with increasing age in subjects with a PET/CT scan, had a nonsignificant tendency to increase with increasing BMI, and was seen to significantly increase with increasing mean lung standard uptake values. Mean lung volumes were not noted to significantly change with increasing age in adult subjects whether or not they were normalized to the craniocaudal thoracic lengths, although mean lung volumes significantly increased with increasing age in pediatric subjects. Mean lung volumes had a nonsignificant tendency to decrease with increasing BMI, although normalized mean lung volumes significantly decreased with increasing BMI. Lung metabolic volumetric products were not noted to significantly change with increasing BMI or with increasing age. In this work, we also review the literature regarding normal structural and functional changes in the thorax with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Well
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahne
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houseni
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Pampaloni
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mong
authors.forename: Shipra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhuge
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Jayaram K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Udupa
authors.forename: Abass
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.forename: Drew A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Torigian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013909:Thorax / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*