Measurement of lung expansion using computed tomography with
comparison to quantitative histology.
Coxson, Harvey O, John R Mayo, Hayedeh Behzad, Barbara J Moore, Lorri
M Verburgt, Cathy A Staples, Peter D Par[acute]e, and James C Hogg.
Pulmonary Research Laboratory, University of British Columbia, St.
Paul's Hospital, Vancouver V6Z 1Y6; epartment of Radiology, Vancouver
Hospital, Vancouver V5Z 4E3, and Department of Radiology St. Paul's
Hospital, Vancouver V6Z 1Y6, Canada
APStracts 2:0293A, 1995.
The total and regional lung volumes were estimated from computed
tomography (CT) and the pleural pressure pressure gradient was
determined using the ml of gas per gram of tissue estimated from the
X-ray attenuation values and the pressure-volume (PV) curve of the
lung. The data show that CT accuarately estimated the volume of the
resected lobe but overestimated it's weight by 24 +/- 19%. The volume
of gas per gram of tissue was less in the gravity dependent regions,
due to a pleural pressure gradient of 0.24 +/- 0.08 cmH2O per cm of
descent in the thorax. The proportion of tissue to air obtained using
CT were similar to those obtained by quantitative histology. We
conclude that the CT scan can be used to estimate total and region
lung volumes and that measurements of the proportion of tissue and
air within the thorax by CT can be used in conjunction with
quantitative histology to evaluate lung structure.
Received 16 March 1995; accepted in final form 21 June 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A289-5.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 11 July 1995.