MDCT assessment of lung volume in patients undergoing bronchial stenting for treatment of pulmonary emphysema: correlation with respiratory tests and personal experience

Purpose. The aid of this study was to evaluate lung volume reduction with multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in patients with emphysema who have undergone endobronchial valve placement. Materials and methods. Nine patients with emphysema were studied by low-dose chest MDCT (64-slice Somatom Sensation Cardiac, Siemens) with a collimation of 64x0.6 mm and a slice thickness of I turn. After treatment, MDCT scans were repeated at 7 and 30 days. A single observer calculated the volume of the treated lobe and of both lungs on a dedicated console. Volume calculations were then compared with the results of lung function tests. Results. Four patients in whom MDCT showed severe emphysema of the right upper lobe (RUL) were selected for endobronchial valve insertion. Volume assessment at 30 days showed a 29% reduction in RUL volume in patient A, a 15% reduction in patient B, a < 1% reduction in patient C and a 30% reduction in patient D. Correlation with lung function tests confirmed a major reduction of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and vital capacity (VC) and improved walking test results after 7 and 30 days. Conclusions. In patients undergoing endobronchial valve placement, MDCT with dedicated software allows for a better evaluation of volume reduction of a single lobe and of the whole lung.