Quantitative Assessment of COPD Patients Using Computed Tomography (Original article)

Background: Worldwide, COPD is substantial cause of both morbidity and mortality. This study objective is to evaluate how computed tomography (CT) can be utilized in quantitative assessment of COPD patients in terms of parenchyma and airways lumina. Methods: This prospective observational analytical study compromised 80 participants who were categorized into 3 groups: Group I: 40 patients having COPD (FEV1/FVC < 70 in PFTS). Group II: 25 apparently healthy smokers. Group III: 15 apparently healthy (non-smokers). Results: LAA - 950 HU insp demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the smoking index (r = 0.686, P < 0.0001. It revealed a significance negative correlation with FEV1 (r = -0.368, P = 0.019). %LAA - 856 HU expiration was significantly lower in Group II and Group III in comparison with Group I, with Group III also significantly lower than Group II. Wall area (%) was significantly higher in group I than in groups II and III. Bronchial wall thickness revealed significant positive correlations with the smoking index (r = 0.695, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: The study successfully demonstrated the strong predictive value of spirometric measures such as FEV1, FEV1 ratio, and FEV1/FVC in identifying structural changes within the lungs of COPD patients, as measured through CT imaging. These findings underscore the interplay between functional impairments and anatomical alterations in the progression of COPD, including increased bronchial wall thickness, wall area, and the presence of low attenuation areas, which are indicative of emphysematous damage.