title: Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans: can CT scan findings at early age anticipate lung function?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The image findings of post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) have been described, however, we do not know if such findings can predict lung function (LF) deterioration with increasing patient age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether computed tomography (CT) abnormalities detected at an early stage of the disease can anticipate abnormal LF a decade later in children with PIBO.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared CT scans of 21 children with PIBO, done within their first 3 years of life, and their actual LF. To evaluate CT scans we used a modified Bhalla score and, for LF, FEV1 as percentage of predicted values. We calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) by comparing the proportion of patients with worst CT score and worst LF, with the proportion of those with best CT score and worst LF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PR was 1.17 (CI 1.02; 1.34, P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CT finding early in the life of children with PIBO, when assessed by the Bhalla, score seem to anticipate future LF status.
authors.affiliation: Post-Grad Program in Pediatrics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. rimattiello@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mattiello
authors.forename: Edgar E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Sarria
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallol
authors.forename: Gilberto B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mocelin
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Jose A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irion
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001989:Bronchiolitis Obliterans / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed