High-resolution computed tomography findings of lung parenchyme changes in very low birth weight infants treated with oxygen

Abstract

Purpose : The objective of this study is to observe high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings of lung parenchyme in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants between the corrected age of 38-42 weeks who were treated with oxygen after birth, and to compare them to the clinical severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Methods : The lungs of fourty-four VLBW infants with gestational ages of less than 32 weeks and birth weights of less than 1,500 g who were treated with oxygen after birth were examined using HRCT taken when the corrected age was between 38-42 weeks. Common findings among the infants and the frequency of their occurrences were noted. Total CT scores obtained by the summation of air trapping and actelectasis scores and the ratio of bronchus-to-pulmonary artery diameter were used to quantitatively evaluate HRCT findings and correlate them with the clinical severity of BPD as defined by Jobe-Bancalari diagnostic criteria. Results : 1) The most common findings in HRCT images of the lungs were air trapping (56%), atelectasis (70.5%), linear opacity (77%), and distortion of the bronchopulmonary bundle (65.9%). These findings were more commonly observed in infants with BPD in a mixed pattern than those without (P