Computed tomographic findings in subjects who died from respiratory disease in the National Lung Screening Trial

[摘要] We evaluated the prevalence of significant lung abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) in patients who died from a respiratory illness other than lung cancer in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST).In this retrospective casexe2x80x93control study; NLST participants in the CT arm who died of respiratory illness other than lung cancer were matched for age; sex; pack-years and smoking status to a surviving control. A chest radiologist and a radiology resident blinded to the outcome independently scored baseline CT scans visually and qualitatively for the presence of emphysema; airway wall thickening and fibrotic lung disease. The prevalence of CT abnormalities was compared between cases and controls by using chi-squared tests.In total; 167 participants died from a respiratory cause other than lung cancer. The prevalence of severe emphysema; airway wall thickening and fibrotic lung disease were 28.7% versus 4.8%; 26.9% versus 13.2% and 18.6% versus 0.5% in cases and controls; respectively. Radiological findings were significantly more prevalent in deaths compared with controls (all p<0.001).CT-diagnosed severe emphysema; airway wall thickening and fibrosis were much more common in NLST participants who died from respiratory disease; and CT may provide an additional means of identifying these diseases.

[学科分类] 呼吸医学