Interstitial Lung Disease Outcome Prediction Using Quantitative Densitometry Indices on Baseline Chest Computed...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate prognostication in interstitial lung disease (ILD) is crucial for patient management.
• Quantitative CT-derived indices offer potential for improved ILD prognostication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic value of baseline CT-derived indices for predicting 3-year mortality in ILD patients.
• To assess the predictive capability of normal lung volume percentage (NLV%) and fibrotic lung volume percentage (FLV%) for ILD outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 101 ILD patients with baseline chest CT scans.
• Measurement of total lung volume (TLVcm³), NLV%, and FLV% using CT imaging.
• Survival analysis including Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox regression models.

Main Results:

• 3-year mortality observed in 29.70% of patients.
• Deceased patients exhibited significantly lower baseline NLV% and higher FLV% compared to survivors.
• Multivariate analysis identified NLV% and DLCO% predicted as independent predictors of 3-year mortality.

Conclusions:

• Baseline FLV% ≥ 14.12% and NLV% ≤ 64.15% effectively stratify ILD patient outcomes.
• Baseline NLV% demonstrates potential as a prognostic indicator for 3-year survival in ILD.
• CT-derived indices correlate with pulmonary function tests (FVC% and DLCO% predicted).