Computed tomography assessment of lung volume changes after bronchial valve treatment

The aim of the present study was to correlate clinical outcome measures following treatment with bronchial valves with regional lung volume. Computed tomography (CT) scan data from 57 subjects with severe emphysema were obtained from nine North American clinical trial sites. IBV(R) Valves (Spiration, Inc., Redmond, WA, USA) were placed to occlude segmental and subsegmental bronchi in right and left upper lobes using a flexible bronchoscope. Subjects completed a St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), pulmonary function test (PFT) and exercise capacity test. CT scans were analysed at baseline and at 1, 3 or 6 months after treatment to measure total and lobar lung density, volume and mass. Total lung volumes measured using CT were strongly correlated with PFT and did not change with treatment. However, the treated upper lobes significantly decreased in volume in 88% of the observations, by mean+/-sd 335+/-444 mL, or a decrease of 10.2% in the 6 month data. The untreated lobes had an 11.6% increase in volume. Changes in regional lung volume were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in SGRQ (-8.95+/-16.22), but not clinically meaningful PFT changes. The significant health status improvements reported by subjects following bilateral bronchial valve treatment are associated with regional lung volume changes and interlobar shift measured using computed tomography.