High-resolution CT findings of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex pulmonary disease: correlation with pulmonary function test results.
The purpose of our study was to analyze the high-resolution CT findings of the nodular bronchiectatic form of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) pulmonary disease and to correlate the extent of high-resolution CT findings with pulmonary function test (PFT) results.



From January 2005 through December 2005, we identified 47 patients (mean age, 58 +/- 13 years; age range, 24-72 years; male-female ratio, 11:36) with the nodular bronchiectatic form of MAC pulmonary disease who underwent both high-resolution CT and PFTs. High-resolution CT findings were reviewed retrospectively in terms of the presence and extent of bronchiectasis, cellular or inflammatory bronchiolitis (centrilobular small nodules and tree-in-bud signs), cavity, nodule, and other findings. The extent of the abnormalities seen on high-resolution CT was scored by modifying the cystic fibrosis scoring system proposed by Helbich and coworkers. The scores were correlated with PFT results using Spearman's correlation coefficient.



On high-resolution CT, the three most frequently observed patterns of parenchymal abnormalities were, in decreasing order of frequency, cellular bronchiolitis (n = 47, 100%), bronchiectasis (n = 46, 98%), and consolidation (n = 27, 57%). The total CT score showed a significant correlation with the residual volume-total lung capacity (RV/TLC) ratio (r = 0.572, p < 0.001), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) value (r = -0.426, p = 0.003), forced vital capacity (FVC) value (r = -0.360, p = 0.013), peak expiratory flow value (r = -0.352, p = 0.015), and peak expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of the forced vital capacity (FEF(25-75%)) (r = -0.289, p = 0.049).



CT scoring of pulmonary abnormalities correlates with measures of functional impairment in patients with MAC pulmonary disease.
Song
Jong Woon
JW
Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, 50, Ilwon-Dong, Kangnam-Ku, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
Koh
Won-Jung
WJ
Lee
Kyung Soo
KS
Lee
Ji Young
JY
Chung
Myung Jin
MJ
Kim
Tae Sung
TS
Kwon
O Jung
OJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*