title: Effect of total lung capacity and gender on CT densitometry indexes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Testing the hypothesis that CT densitometry indexes could be influenced by total lung capacity (TLC), gender and height in normal individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this ethics committee-approved prospective study, 100 healthy non-smoking volunteers who provided written informed consent were included. From a helical scan of the chest, the relative area (RA) of the lung with attenuation coefficients lower than -960 HU and the 1st and 15th percentiles of the distribution of attenuation coefficients were calculated. Regression lines were drawn between each CT index and volunteers' height and total TLC at CT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In males, there was no statistically significant correlation between any CT index and height. In females, there was a statistically significant correlation between the RA of the lung with attenuation coefficients lower than -960 HU and the 1st percentile and height but not with the 15th percentile. For both genders, there were significant correlations between all CT indexes and TLC. The relationships between CT indexes and TLC were different in males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT indexes are correlated with TLC and height but more closely with TLC than with height, and differently in males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT indexes are influenced by TLC, gender and height in normal individuals and are more closely correlated with TLC than with height. The relationships between CT indexes and TLC or height are different in males and females. CT indexes used to quantify emphysema should thus be adjusted according to TLC and gender.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walsdorff
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pneumology, Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Muylem
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pierre Alain
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gevenois
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*