Correlation between high-resolution computed tomography of the chest and pulmonary functions in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are a heterogeneous group of non-neoplastic disorders resulting from damage to the lung parenchyma by varying patterns of inflammation and fibrosis. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has become an integral part of the diagnosis and evaluation of the patient with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. The aim of this work was to correlate between HRCT findings and pulmonary functions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Thirty patients with features consistent with IPF as diagnosed by means of HRCT were included. The severity of IPF was scored using ‘Kasr Al Ainy HRCT scoring of IPF’ in which the lung was divided into six zones, three on each side, with a specific score given for each zone according to the extent of fibrosis. Transthorathic echocardiography was performed for all patients with the estimation of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). The mean lower lung zone score according to the HRCT score for severity of IPF was 7.93±2.67, which is consistent with typical basal distribution of IPF. A negative correlation was noted between total HRCT score with forced vital capacity, partial pressure of oxygen, and 6 min walk test. There was a positive correlation between PASP detected using echocardiography and pulmonary artery size measured using HRCT (P=0.022). There is a positive correlation between PASP detected using echocardiography and pulmonary artery size measured using HRCT. There is a negative correlation between PASP using echo and partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood gases and also between total lung zone HRCT score and pulmonary functions.