Air trapping in sarcoidosis on computed tomography: correlation with lung function.

Journal article

AIMS: To document the presence and extent of air trapping on high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis and correlate HRCT features with pulmonary function tests. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis underwent HRCT and pulmonary function assessment at presentation. Inspiratory and expiratory HRCT were assessed for the presence and extent of air trapping, ground-glass opacification, nodularity, septal thickening, bronchiectasis and parenchymal distortion. HRCT features were correlated with pulmonary function tests. RESULTS: Air trapping on expiratory HRCT was present in 20/21 (95%) patients. The extent of air trapping correlated with percentage predicted residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC) (r = 0.499;P < 0.05) and percentage predicted maximal mid-expiratory flow rate between 25 and 75% of the vital capacity (r = -0.54;P < 0.05). Ground-glass opacification was present in four of 21 (19%), nodularity in 18/21 (86%), septal thickening in 18/21 (86%), traction bronchiectasis in 14/21 (67%) and distortion in 12/21 (57%) of patients; there were no significant relationships between these CT features and pulmonary function results. CONCLUSION: Air trapping is a common feature in sarcoidosis and correlates with evidence of small airways disease on pulmonary function testing.

Authors: Davies, C; Tasker, A; Padley, S; Davies, R; Gleeson, F

• Journal: Clinical radiology
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 217-221
• Publication date: 2000-03-01
• DOI: 10.1053/crad.1999.0366
• EISSN: 1365-229X
• ISSN: 0009-9260
• Language: English
• Keywords: Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Humans; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Female; Air; Male; Residual Volume; Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary; Respiratory Function Tests