Functional Pulmonary Imaging.

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary medicine
• Medical imaging
• Physiology

Background:

• Aging global population increases lung disease prevalence, with COPD as a leading cause of death.
• Current lung function tests are global, potentially missing early regional changes.
• Functional pulmonary imaging provides spatially resolved insights into lung pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review functional pulmonary imaging techniques.
• To highlight the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in functional pulmonary imaging.
• To discuss applications in clinical and research settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of various functional pulmonary imaging modalities.
• Focus on MRI techniques, including 1H MRI with contrast agents and hyperpolarized/inert gas MRI (e.g., 129Xe).
• Exploration of other modalities like SPECT, CT, and X-ray dark-field imaging.

Main Results:

• Methods are described based on their ability to assess ventilation, perfusion, alveolar membrane function, and microstructure.
• MRI offers diverse tools for detailed lung physiology assessment.
• Other imaging modalities also contribute to functional pulmonary assessment.

Conclusions:

• Functional pulmonary imaging is valuable for clinical diagnosis and research.
• Advanced imaging techniques like MRI can reveal previously unknown aspects of lung physiology.
• The field holds promise for future advancements in understanding and managing lung diseases.