[ASSESSMENT OF EXTRAVASCULAR LUNG WATER BY QUANTITATIVE COMPUTER IMAGE ANALYSIS IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY...

To evaluate the possibility of quantitative computed tomography (CT) of the lungs in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) for assessment of the severity of the condition and the effectiveness of treatment.

The study included 29 patients with ARDS and 22 with no signs of lung disease (control group). We measured extravascular lung water (EVLW) by transpulmonary thermodilution (TTD) and analysed CT of the lungs in patients with ARDS. Patients in the control group underwent CT of the lungs only. CT images were processed using the "Gamma Multivoks".

According to CT poorly ventilated lung areas accounted for 2% of the total in the control group. Normally ventilated and hyper-ventilated lung areas prevailed in these patients. In the group of ARDS hyper-ventilated areas almost were not identified and normality and poorly ventilated areas we found. In patients with ARDS total lung volume was 1.5 times less than in the control group (median volume of 3393 and 4955 mL respectively). Pulmonary weight in ARDS group was bigger than in controls (median weight of the lungs 1233 and 812 g respectively). Effects of treatment according to quantitative CT evaluated in 14 survived patients. Notes the increase in lung volume (median 4656.5 ml) (p = 0.0001) and a decrease in lung weight (median 862 g) (p = 0.0012). The weight and volume of the lungs, the ratio of hyper, normal and poorly ventilated areas of the lung in patients with acute respiratoy distress syndrome after treatment did not differ from those in the control group.

Quantitative analysis of CT reveals changes in the mass and volume of the lungs and can be used to diagnose and evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Pulmonary weight calculated by CT correlates with EVLW determined by TTD.