Objectives: To investigate the relationship between small pulmonary vessels and extent of emphysema on CT in individual lungs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods: Forty-nine patients were included. The percentage of cross-sectional area of vessels <5mm2 (%CSA <5) and extent of emphysema were assessed.
Results: Less than half of the COPD patients demonstrated an inverse correlation between %CSA <5 and percentage of low attenuation area (LAA%). In the remaining patients, %CSA <5 was homogeneously distributed.
Conclusion: Not all patients with COPD demonstrated an inverse correlation of the distributions between %CSA <5 and LAA% in individual lungs.
Keywords: COPD; CT scan cross-sectional area; Emphysema; Small pulmonary vessel.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.