Abstract
The cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels can be quantified by CT, which is a reliable method of evaluating vascular alterations in such vessels. However, the optimal number of slices required for accurate quantitation remains unknown. We evaluated relationships among all slices at 10-mm interval and all slices at 3-cm interval, 6-cm interval, and 3-slices and found the closest correlation (0.939) between all slices at 10-mm intervals and 3-cm intervals. Thus, all slices at 3-cm intervals are suitable for accurately measuring CSA.
Highlights
The importance of vascular alterations in several lung diseases has been recognized
Vascular alteration is a characteristic feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [1] [2] that leads to pulmonary hypertension, which is closely related to the mortality rate of this disease
Several studies recently have shown that the cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels, which can be quantified measured on computed tomography (CT) images, is reliable for evaluating vascular alterations in small pulmonary vessels in vivo [3]-[9]
Summary
The importance of vascular alterations in several lung diseases has been recognized. For instance, vascular alteration is a characteristic feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [1] [2] that leads to pulmonary hypertension, which is closely related to the mortality rate of this disease. Several studies recently have shown that the cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels, which can be quantified measured on computed tomography (CT) images, is reliable for evaluating vascular alterations in small pulmonary vessels in vivo [3]-[9]. This method is relatively uncomplicated because contrast material injection is not necessary. How to cite this paper: Sakamoto, S., et al (2015) Optimal Minimum Number of CT Slices Required to Measure Cross Sectional Areas of Small Pulmonary Vessels. The present study aimed to define the minimum optimal number of CT slices required for accurate and reproducible CSA measurements
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