Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025
Unilateral Lung Volume Analysis Using Micro-CT for Enhanced Assessment of Pulmonary Fibrosis in Preclinical Models
Published on: June 20, 2025
Longitudinal analysis of coal workers' pneumoconiosis using enhanced resolution-computed tomography images: unveiling
Ngan-Khanh Chau1,2, Eun-Kee Park3, Sanghun Choi1
1School of Mechanical Engineering and IEDT, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Rationale:
Pneumoconiosis, caused by prolonged exposure to mineral dust, leads to progressive structural and functional lung alterations. Quantitative computed tomography (qCT) has emerged as a critical tool for assessing these changes, yet there is limited research on the longitudinal patterns in pneumoconiosis patients.
Methods:
This study examined a cohort of 31 former coal workers with pneumoconiosis over a 1-year period. Inspiratory qCT images were enhanced using a deep learning-based super-resolution model and then processed to extract lung functional and airway structural metrics. A non-rigid image registration process was performed with baseline images as fixed and follow-up images as moving. Registration-derived metrics, including anisotropic deformation index (ADI), slab rod index (SRI), and Jacobian (J), were extracted to quantify regional deformation longitudinally. Pulmonary function tests, including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), were recorded at both time points to assess functional decline.
Results:
The study identified significant airway changes in angles, diameters, and geometry, with a decrease in normal lung tissue in the right upper lobe. Blood vessel volumes declined, indicating vascular remodeling. Registration metrics revealed regional heterogeneity, with higher ADI and SRI values and localized volume loss (J) in the lower lobes. FEV1/FVC progression correlated positively with tracheal angle, emphysema, and consolidation but negatively with normal lung tissue, semi-consolidation, and fibrosis. ADI, SRI, and J were associated with structural deformation, airway remodeling, and parenchymal loss, linking these changes to lung function decline.
Conclusion:
qCT imaging and registration metrics effectively monitor structural and functional lung changes in pneumoconiosis. Registering baseline and follow-up inspiration images offers additionally valuable insights into disease progression.
More Related Videos
02:09Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
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
Related Concept Videos
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:27Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography
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...