title: Quantitative computed tomography of pulmonary emphysema and ventricular function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study strived to evaluate the relationship between degree of pulmonary emphysema and cardiac ventricular function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) using electrocardiographic-gated multidetector computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung transplantation candidates with the diagnosis of COPD and PH were chosen for the study population, and a total of 15 patients were included. The extent of emphysema is defined as the percentage of voxels below -910 Hounsfield units in the lung windows in whole lung CT without intravenous contrast. Heart function parameters were measured by electrocardiographic-gated CT angiography. Linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between percent emphysema and heart function indicators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations were found between percent emphysema and right ventricular (RV) measurements, including RV end-diastolic volume (R(2) = 0.340, p = 0.023), RV stroke volume (R(2) = 0.406, p = 0.011), and RV cardiac output (R(2) = 0.382, p = 0.014); the correlations between percent emphysema and left ventricular function indicators were not observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study revealed that percent emphysema is correlated with RV dysfunction among COPD patients with PH. Based on our findings, percent emphysema can be considered for use as an indicator to predict the severity of right ventricular dysfunction among COPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan. ; Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan. ; Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun Lin Branch, Yun-Lin 640, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Sen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsao-Hsun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan. ; Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun Lin Branch, Yun-Lin 640, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jo-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fu-Shan
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Jaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yeun-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Emphysema; Pulmonary hypertension; Right ventricular function