Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 8, 2026
Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Visual vs Fully Automatic Histogram-Based Assessment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Progression Using
Davide Colombi1, Julien Dinkel2, Oliver Weinheimer3
1Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Diagnostic Imaging at University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Translational Lung Research Centre (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Objectives:
To describe changes over time in extent of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) assessed by semi-quantitative visual scores (VSs) and fully automatic histogram-based quantitative evaluation and to test the relationship between these two methods of quantification.
Methods:
Forty IPF patients (median age: 70 y, interquartile: 62-75 years; M:F, 33:7) that underwent 2 MDCT at different time points with a median interval of 13 months (interquartile: 10-17 months) were retrospectively evaluated. In-house software YACTA quantified automatically lung density histogram (10th-90th percentile in 5th percentile steps). Longitudinal changes in VSs and in the percentiles of attenuation histogram were obtained in 20 untreated patients and 20 patients treated with pirfenidone. Pearson correlation analysis was used to test the relationship between VSs and selected percentiles.
Results:
In follow-up MDCT, visual overall extent of parenchymal abnormalities (OE) increased in median by 5%/year (interquartile: 0%/y; +11%/y). Substantial difference was found between treated and untreated patients in HU changes of the 40th and of the 80th percentiles of density histogram. Correlation analysis between VSs and selected percentiles showed higher correlation between the changes (Δ) in OE and Δ 40th percentile (r=0.69; p<0.001) as compared to Δ 80th percentile (r=0.58; p<0.001); closer correlation was found between Δ ground-glass extent and Δ 40th percentile (r=0.66, p<0.001) as compared to Δ 80th percentile (r=0.47, p=0.002), while the Δ reticulations correlated better with the Δ 80th percentile (r=0.56, p<0.001) in comparison to Δ 40th percentile (r=0.43, p=0.003).
Conclusions:
There is a relevant and fully automatically measurable difference at MDCT in VSs and in histogram analysis at one year follow-up of IPF patients, whether treated or untreated: Δ 40th percentile might reflect the change in overall extent of lung abnormalities, notably of ground-glass pattern; furthermore Δ 80th percentile might reveal the course of reticular opacities.
More Related Videos
07:38A Multimodal Imaging Approach Based on Micro-CT and Fluorescence Molecular Tomography for Longitudinal Assessment of Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis in Mice
Published on: April 13, 2018
03:38Unilateral Lung Volume Analysis Using Micro-CT for Enhanced Assessment of Pulmonary Fibrosis in Preclinical Models
Published on: June 20, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:29Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...