Matsuoka S, Yamashiro T, Díaz A, epar R ul SJ e E, Ross JC, Silverman EK, Kobayashi Y, Dransfield MT, Bartholmai BJ, Hatabu H, et al. The relationship between small pulmonary vascular alteration and aortic atherosclerosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: quantitative CT analysis. Acad Radiol. 2011;18(1):40–6.
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atherosclerosis has been suggested; this association may relate to systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, which can lead to alteration of small pulmonary vessels. The relationship between atherosclerosis and small pulmonary vessel alteration, however, has not been assessed in COPD patients. We tested the hypothesis that the severity of thoracic aortic calcification measured by computed tomography (CT) would be associated with the total cross-sectional area of small pulmonary vessels (CSA) on CT images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the institutional review board and was Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant. Informed consent was waived. For 51 COPD patients enrolled in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Lung Tissue Research Consortium, we calculated the percentage of total CSAs of less than 5 mm² for the total lung area (%CSA
Last updated on 02/26/2023