Chest CT scans offer critical insights into the lung function of sarcoidosis patients, reveals research

Even after adjusting for Scadding stage, the CT features maintained their associations with FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) and DLCO. However, some associations between CT features and FVC (forced vital capacity) became insignificant upon this adjustment. The Scadding stage itself was primarily linked to FEV1, but incorporating CT features into the analysis reduced the significance of the association between Scadding stage and lung function.

Both Scadding stage and various CT measures were found to explain lung function variability through multivariable regression modeling. Moreover, Scadding stage contributed significantly to models explaining FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratios and marginally for DLCO. The study illuminated moderate to poor agreement between the radiologists in evaluating the presence, absence and degree of CT abnormalities that suggests the need for more standardized CT assessment protocols.

This research indicates that chest CT scans offer valuable additional insights into lung function in sarcoidosis patients beyond what is provided by the Scadding stage. Further investigations are imperative to assess the potential of CT scans to enhance patient management and treatment outcomes.

Source:

Benn, B. S., Lippitt, W., Cortopassi, I., G.K, B., Barbosa, E. M., Jr., Drake, W. P., Herzog, E., Gibson, K., Chen, E. S., Koth, L. L., Fuhrman, C., Lynch, D. A., Kaminski, N., Wisniewski, S. R., Carlson, N. E., & Maier, L. A. (2024). Chest computed tomography provides more information than chest X-ray alone in determining extent of physiologic impairment in pulmonary sarcoidosis. In CHEST. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2024.04.031