Automated computed tomography lung densitometry in bronchiectasis patients

Introduction: Visual computed tomography (CT) scoring systems are used to assess disease severity and predict outcomes in bronchiectasis although they have limitations such as subjectivity and been time-consuming. Objective: To correlate quantitative CT lung densitometry measurements with lung function and multidimensional prognostic scores in patients with bronchiectasis. Methods: Adult patients with bronchiectasis underwent inspiratory/expiratory volumetric chest CT and complete lung function test. Disease severity was assessed by multidimensional prognostic scores (BSI and FACED). CT lung densitometry parameters were calculated and compared to a visual CT score (CF-CT). Results: 100 patients were included with mean age of 43±15 years-old, 57% female and 34% diagnosed as idiopathic bronchiectasis. Automated computed tomography lung densitometry was faster analyzed than visual CT score (2.5±0.5 x 14.0±4.0 minutes). CT lung densitometry parameters (kurtosis and skewness), correlated with FEV1 and DLCO, comparable to CF-CT score. Expiratory/Inspiratory (E/I) mean lung density showed good correlation with residual volume (RV), RV/total lung capacity (TLC) and both FACED and BSI scores (R=0.63, R=0.68, R=0.53 and R=0.29; p Conclusion: Automated CT densitometry is a fast and simple tool for quantification of lung disease in bronchiectasis. This method correlated well with multiple lung functions tests and multidimensional prognostic scores, and performed better than visual scoring system to discriminate more severe patients.