title: Computed tomographic measures of pulmonary vascular morphology in smokers and their clinical implications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiographic investigation suggests that pulmonary vascular remodeling in smokers is characterized by distal pruning of the blood vessels.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Using volumetric computed tomography scans of the chest we sought to quantitatively evaluate this process and assess its clinical associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary vessels were automatically identified, segmented, and measured. Total blood vessel volume (TBV) and the aggregate vessel volume for vessels less than 5 mm(2) (BV5) were calculated for all lobes. The lobe-specific BV5 measures were normalized to the TBV of that lobe and the nonvascular tissue volume (BV5/T(issue)V) to calculate lobe-specific BV5/TBV and BV5/T(issue)V ratios. Densitometric measures of emphysema were obtained using a Hounsfield unit threshold of -950 (%LAA-950). Measures of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity included single breath measures of diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, oxygen saturation, the 6-minute-walk distance, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (SGRQ), and the body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The %LAA-950 was inversely related to all calculated vascular ratios. In multivariate models including age, sex, and %LAA-950, lobe-specific measurements of BV5/TBV were directly related to resting oxygen saturation and inversely associated with both the SGRQ and BODE scores. In similar multivariate adjustment lobe-specific BV5/T(issue)V ratios were inversely related to resting oxygen saturation, diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, 6-minute-walk distance, and directly related to the SGRQ and BODE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by distal pruning of the small blood vessels (<5 mm(2)) and loss of tissue in excess of the vasculature. The magnitude of these changes predicts the clinical severity of disease.
authors: Department of Radiology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Raúl San José
authors: RS
authors: Estépar
authors: Gregory L
authors: GL
authors: Kinney
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Black-Shinn
authors: Russell P
authors: RP
authors: Bowler
authors: Gordon L
authors: GL
authors: Kindlmann
authors: James C
authors: JC
authors: Ross
authors: Ron
authors: R
authors: Kikinis
authors: Meilan K
authors: MK
authors: Han
authors: Carolyn E
authors: CE
authors: Come
authors: Alejandro A
authors: AA
authors: Diaz
authors: Michael H
authors: MH
authors: Cho
authors: Craig P
authors: CP
authors: Hersh
authors: Joyce D
authors: JD
authors: Schroeder
authors: John J
authors: JJ
authors: Reilly
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Lynch
authors: James D
authors: JD
authors: Crapo
authors: J Michael
authors: JM
authors: Wells
authors: Mark T
authors: MT
authors: Dransfield
authors: John E
authors: JE
authors: Hokanson
authors: George R
authors: GR
authors: Washko
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
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