Diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension by the small vessel analysis using CT scans.

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670401
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Respiratory organ internal medicine
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Tsujimura Shuko 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 共同研究員 (70528174)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: CT / COPD / 微小血管 / 気腫 / CSA<5 / micro CT

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to clarify the distribution of emphysema (low attenuation area: LAA) and that of small pulmonary vessels less than 5 mm2 (cross-sectional area: CSA<5) on the quantitative CT analyses in individual COPD patients. We proposed the method to create a histogram of LAA% and %CSA<5 on all CT images. The resultant data show that patients with COPD had various distribution patterns of %CSA<5. The half of COPD patients had the negative correlation and the rest had no correlation between LAA% and %CSA<5.
The cigarette smoke (CS) induced emphysema mice were analyzed longitudinal morphological changes in lungs by micro CT. Emphysema was also assessed histologically. The mean linear intercept value was significantly increased in CS exposed mice compared with control at 3 and 5 months. CS exposure mice did not have increased low attenuation area, however they had rather higher average lung CT values.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科