Andrea S Oh, David Baraghoshi, David A Lynch, Samuel Y Ash, James D Crapo, Stephen M Humphries, COPDGene Investigators
Radiology . 2022 May 17;213054. doi: 10.1148/radiol.213054. Online ahead of print.
Background: Visual assessment remains the standard for evaluating emphysema at CT; however, it is time consuming, is subjective, requires training, and is affected by variability that may limit sensitivity to longitudinal change.
Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and imaging significance of increasing emphysema severity as graded by a deep learning algorithm on sequential CT scans in cigarette smokers.
Materials and Methods: A secondary analysis of the prospective Genetic Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPDGene) study participants was performed and included baseline and 5-year follow-up CT scans from 2007 to 2017. Emphysema was classified automatically according to the Fleischner emphysema grading system at baseline and 5-year follow-up using a deep learning model. Baseline and change in clinical and imaging parameters at 5-year follow-up were compared in participants whose emphysema progressed versus those who did not. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariable Cox regression were used to assess the relationship between emphysema score progression and mortality.
Results: A total of 5056 participants (mean age, 60 years ± 9 [SD]; 2566 men) were evaluated. At 5-year follow-up, 1293 of the 5056 participants (26%) had emphysema progression according to the Fleischner grading system. This group demonstrated progressive airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [percent predicted]: -3.4 vs -1.8), a greater decline in 6-minute walk distance (-177 m vs -124 m), and greater progression in quantitative emphysema extent (adjusted lung density: -1.4 g/L vs 0.5 g/L; percentage of lung voxels with CT attenuation less than -950 HU: 0.6 vs 0.2) than those with nonprogressive emphysema (P < .001 for each). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed a higher mortality rate in the group with emphysema progression, with an estimated hazard ratio of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2, 1.8; P < .001).
Conclusion: An increase in Fleischner emphysema grade on sequential CT scans using an automated deep learning algorithm was associated with increased functional impairment and increased risk of mortality.
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