title: Dilatation of bronchial arteries correlates with extent of central disease in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dilatation of the bronchial arteries is a well-recognized feature in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The purpose of the current study was to use computed tomography (CT) to assess the relationship between dilated bronchial arteries and the extent of thrombi, and to evaluate the predictive value of the former for surgical outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-nine patients with CTEPH and 16 with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were retrospectively evaluated. The total cross-sectional area of bronchial arteries was measured by CT and its relationship with the central extent of thrombi or surgical outcome was assessed. The total area of the bronchial arteries in CTEPH patients was significantly larger than that in PAH patients (median [range], 6.9 [1.7-29.5] mm(2) vs 3.2 [0.8-9.4] mm(2)), with the total area of bronchial arteries correlating with the central extent of thrombi. In patients who had undergone pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) (n=22), the change in PaO(2) after surgery had a tendency to correlate with the total area of the bronchial arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The total cross-sectional area of the bronchial arteries correlated with the extent of central disease in patients with CTEPH, and it might predict gas exchange improvement after PTE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuou-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. shimizuhidefumi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Masahisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakao
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takiguchi
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tatsumi
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuriyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D001981:Bronchial Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014664:Vasodilation