Computed tomography of pulmonary sarcoid-like granulomas induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats

Intravenous injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in rats has been proposed as an experimental model for pulmonary sarcoidosis, but only some animals develop granulomas. Because the detection of the presence of granulomas and evaluation of the extent of the reaction has required histological evaluation, this model has been of limited use in following the evolution of the granulomatous process. The present study evaluated the ability of lung computed tomography (CT) scanning to identify in vivo pulmonary granulomas induced by CFA in rats. Wistar rats were injected with CFA to induce pulmonary sarcoid-like granulomas, and the presence and extent of pulmonary abnormalities, as detected by spiral CT and histopathological analysis, were compared. Spiral CT had a high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of sarcoid-like granulomas in rats injected with CFA. The extent of the pulmonary granulomatous reaction as assessed by the two techniques strongly correlated (r=0.93, p<0.01). In contrast, the mean density of lungs containing granulomas was not significantly different from that of lungs with no granulomatous reaction. Thus, lung computed tomography appears to be a valuable tool for the in vivo evaluation of the pulmonary granulomatous reaction induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats. With the help of computed tomography, this experimental model should be suitable for the sequential study of pulmonary sarcoid-like granulomas, particularly in response to various therapeutic strategies.