Severe pulmonary hypertension associated with lung disease is characterised by a loss of small pulmonary vessels on quantitative computed tomography

Dheyaa Alkhanfar; Yousef Shahin; Faisal Alandejani; Krit Dwivedi; Samer Alabed; Chris Johns; Allan Lawrie; A A Roger Thompson; Alexander M K Rothman; Juerg Tschirren; Johanna M Uthoff; Eric Hoffman; Robin Condliffe; Jim M Wild; David G Kiely; Andrew J Swift

doi:10.1183/23120541.00503-2021

Severe pulmonary hypertension associated with lung disease is characterised by a loss of small pulmonary vessels on quantitative computed tomography

ERJ Open Res. 2022 May 16;8(2):00503-2021. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00503-2021. eCollection 2022 Apr.

Authors

Dheyaa Alkhanfar^{1

2}, Yousef Shahin^{1

3}, Faisal Alandejani¹, Krit Dwivedi¹, Samer Alabed^{1

3}, Chris Johns³, Allan Lawrie¹, A A Roger Thompson^{1

4}, Alexander M K Rothman^{1

4}, Juerg Tschirren⁵, Johanna M Uthoff⁶, Eric Hoffman⁷, Robin Condliffe⁴, Jim M Wild^{1

2}, David G Kiely^{2

4

8}, Andrew J Swift^{1

2

8}

Affiliations

¹ Dept of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
² INSIGNEO, Institute for In Silico Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
³ Dept of Clinical Radiology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, UK.
⁴ Sheffield Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
⁵ VIDA Diagnostics Inc., Coralville, IA, USA.
⁶ Dept of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
⁷ Dept of Radiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
⁸ These authors contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with chronic lung disease (CLD) predicts reduced functional status, clinical worsening and increased mortality, with patients with severe PH-CLD (≥35 mmHg) having a significantly worse prognosis than mild to moderate PH-CLD (21-34 mmHg). The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association between computed tomography (CT)-derived quantitative pulmonary vessel volume, PH severity and disease aetiology in CLD.

Methods: Treatment-naïve patients with CLD who underwent CT pulmonary angiography, lung function testing and right heart catheterisation were identified from the ASPIRE registry between October 2012 and July 2018. Quantitative assessments of total pulmonary vessel and small pulmonary vessel volume were performed.

Results: 90 patients had PH-CLD including 44 associated with COPD/emphysema and 46 with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Patients with severe PH-CLD (n=40) had lower small pulmonary vessel volume compared to patients with mild to moderate PH-CLD (n=50). Patients with PH-ILD had significantly reduced small pulmonary blood vessel volume, compared to PH-COPD/emphysema. Higher mortality was identified in patients with lower small pulmonary vessel volume.

Conclusion: Patients with severe PH-CLD, regardless of aetiology, have lower small pulmonary vessel volume compared to patients with mild-moderate PH-CLD, and this is associated with a higher mortality. Whether pulmonary vessel changes quantified by CT are a marker of remodelling of the distal pulmonary vasculature requires further study.

Abstract

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