Published online May 28, 2023. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v15.i5.146
Peer-review started: November 26, 2022
First decision: March 15, 2023
Revised: April 4, 2023
Accepted: April 24, 2023
Article in press: April 24, 2023
Published online: May 28, 2023
Processing time: 178 Days and 2 Hours
In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), about 20% of patients have lung restriction due to parenchymal scarring. We sometimes follow CTEPH patients who gradually lose lung volume. There is no report describing the temporal change in lung volume of CTEPH patients.
The loss of lung volume may be an important clinical consideration in CTEPH treatment.
The purpose of this study was to assess the temporal lung volume changes in CTEPH.
Included in the study were patients with CTEPH who underwent two thoracic computed tomography (CT) examinations with a between-test interval that was greater than 6 mo. We also assessed controls matched by age, sex, and observation period. The lung volume was measured on the left and right sides by thin-slice CT scanning. Lung volume was automatically measured by lung analysis software. We analyzed the lung volume changes between the initial CT and follow-up CT in patients and controls by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
The total and right lung volumes were significantly reduced from the initial CT to the follow-up CT in the patients with CTEPH. In CTEPH patients, there was no significant change in the left lung volume. In controls, there were no significant changes in lung volume.
In patients with CTEPH, the lung volume was reduced temporally. The right lung was more affected than the left lung by the lung volume reduction.
Further study is needed to clarify whether this temporary increase in lung volume and subsequent regression may influence quality of life in patients with CTEPH.