J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Jan;30(1):77-81.

Diffuse Panbronchiolitis: High-Resolution CT Findings and Correla:don with Pulmonary Function Test

• Song KS
• Lim TH
• Sung HK
• Chung KI

Abstract

PURPOSE
Diffuse panbronchiolitis(DPB) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease of unknown causes mainly affecting the respiratory bronchioles and the more proximal bronchi. Findings on chest radiographs and high-resolution CT(HRCT) are well known and Akira classified HRCT findings of DPB into four types. Purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between findings of HRCT and PFT.
METHODS
AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively analyzed the chest radiographs and HRCT images of eleven patients with DPB and compared CT classification with pulmonary function test.
RESULTS
Chest radiographs usually showed small nodular opacities throughout the both middle and lower lungs. The HRCT findings of DPB were centrilobularly distributed small nodular densities, branching linear densities contiguous with small round densities, dilated and thickened peripheral and central airways including bronchioles. More than one CT type by Akira's classification, usually two or three types, were found in nine patients. There was good correlation between CT types and FEV1%(p<0.05), CT types and FEV1/FVC (p<0.05) respectively.
CONCLUSION
HRCT seems to be more useful for diagnosis and disease progression of DPB as compared with the chest radiographs or clinical stage such as pulmonary function test.

MeSH Terms

Bronchi
Bronchioles
Classification
Diagnosis
Disease Progression
Humans
Lung
Radiography, Thoracic
Respiratory Function Tests*
Retrospective Studies