Chest CT texture analysis for response assessment in systemic sclerosis.
Eur J Radiol 2018;
101:50-58. [PMID:
29571801 DOI:
10.1016/j.ejrad.2018.01.024]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE
To evaluate the role of CT-textural features for monitoring lung involvement in subjects with systemic sclerosis(SSc) undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation(SCT) by comparison with semi-quantitative chest-CT, pulmonary function tests(PFT) and clinical parameters (modified Rodnan skin score[mRSS]).
METHODS
In a retrospective single centre analysis, we identified 23 consecutive subjects(11male) with SSc between 07/2005 and 11/2016 that underwent chest CTs before, 6 and 12 months post-SCT. Response to therapy was defined at 6 months after transplantation as stabilisation or improvement in FVC > 10% and DLCOSB > 10%. CT-texture analysis(CTTA) including mean, entropy and uniformity were calculated.
RESULTS
PFT classified the subjects into responders(18/23;78%) and non-responders(5/23;22%). mRSS improved in responders from 28.46 ± 9.53 to 15.70 ± 10.07 6 months after auto-SCT(p = .001) whereas in non-responders no significant improvement was registered. Fibrosis score increased significantly(mean2.33 ± 1.23 vs.1.41 ± 0.78; p = .005) in non-responders after 6 and 12months. Significant lower mean intensity and entropy of skewness and higher uniformity of skewness was found in responders vs. non-responders at baseline. Significant changes in CTTA-parameters were found in both responders and non-responders at 6months and only in responders also at 12months post-SCT.
CONCLUSIONS
Changes in CT-textural features after SCT are associated with visual CT evaluation of SSc-related lung abnormalities, but complementary provide information about therapy-induced, structural pulmonary changes.
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