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Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Author Spotlight: Investigating the Key Factors of Obliterative Bronchiolitis After Lung Transplantation
Published on: November 10, 2023
Differences of airway dimensions between patients with and without bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung
Felix Doellinger1, Oliver Weinheimer2, Isabella Zwiener3
1Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center, Johannes-Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Institute of Radiology, Charité University Medicine, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Background:
The aim of our retrospective study was to determine whether a dedicated software for assessment of airway morphology can detect differences in airway dimensions between patients with and without bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), regarded as the clinical correlate of chronic lung allograft rejection.
Methods:
12 patients with and 14 patients without diagnosis of BOS were enrolled in the study. Evaluation of bronchial wall area percentage (WA%) and bronchial wall thickness (WT) in all follow-up CT scans was performed using a semiautomatic airway assessment tool. We assessed temporal changes (ΔWA%, ΔWT) and compared these morphological parameters with forced expiratory volume in one second (ΔFEV1).
Results:
In patients with and without BOS, the temporal changes over the entire follow-up were 26.6% versus 16.2% for ΔFEV1 (p=0.034), 14.2% versus 5.4% for ΔWA% (p=0.003) and 0.212mm versus 0.064mm for ΔWT (p=0.011).
Conclusions:
We detected significant differences of the temporal changes of airway dimensions (ΔWA%, ΔWT) between lung transplant recipients with and without BOS. We conclude that computer-assisted bronchial wall measurements in CT scans might complement the information from pulmonary function tests and establish as a non-invasive method to confirm BOS in lung transplant recipients in the future.
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