Objective To analyze the clinical presentations and radiological characteristics of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ( IPF) . Methods Clinical and radiological data of 2 patients with acute exacerbation of IPF from April 2006 to July 2008 were retrospectively analyzed and literatures were reviewed. Results Both patients were senior male patients over 60 years old. Dyspnea, cough and inspiratory crackles were the major symptoms and signs. Two patients were experiencing an exacerbation of dyspnea for one week and half of month, respectively. PaO2 /FiO2 of both patients was less than225 mm Hg. In both patients, high-resolution computed tomography ( HRCT) scans at the exacerbation showed typical signs of IPF including peripheral predominant, basal predominant reticular abnormality, with honeycombing and traction bronchiectasis and bronchiolectasis, and newly developing alveolar opacity. HRCT scan showed peripheral area of ground-glass attenuation adjacent to subpleural honeycombing in one patient, and diffusely distributed ground-glass opacity in another patient. Two patients had received corticosteroid treatment. For one patient, the symptoms improved, and ground-glass attenuation adjacent to subpleural honeycombing had almostly resolved. The other patient died of respiratory failure. Conclusions Some acute exacerbation in idiopatic pulmonary fibrosis can be idiopathic. The clinical presentations mainly include the worsening of dyspnea within short time. HRCT generally demonstrates new bilateral ground-glass abnormality with or without areas of consolidation, superimposed on typical changes of IPF.
Objective To explore the imaging features of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ( IPF) under high-resolution computed tomography ( HRCT) . Methods The HRCT imaging features of six patients who met the criteria for acute exacerbation of IPF were analyzed retrospectively. Results The manifestations of IPF on HRCT scan were various in forms and distribution, as multifocal, ground-glass opacity, reticular shadow, honeycombing densities, capillary bronchiectasis,subpleural lines, traction bronchiolectasis and emphysema. The characteristic lesions were newly diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacity at the time of acute exacerbation, superimposed on subpleural reticular and honeycombing densities. Conclusions Chest HRCT findings in acute exacerbation of IPF are characteristic.HRCT is accurate and superior in diagnosis of IPF and in determining acute exacerbation of IPF.
ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of chest high-resolution CT in common-type coronavirus disease 2019 patients.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 35 patients in the Fever Clinic of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 21 to February 23, 2020. According to the nucleic acid test results, the patients were divided into a nucleic acid positive group of 14 cases, and a nucleic acid negative group of 21 cases. The clinical characteristics and high-resolution CT results (including lesion distribution, morphology, density, paving stone sign, air bronchial sign, vascular thickening sign, pleural effusion and enlarged lymph nodes, etc.) of the patients in each group were compared.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in the ratio of males to females, age distribution, clinical symptoms, or absolute lymphocyte values between the nucleic acid positive group and the nucleic acid negative group (P>0.05). The difference in epidemiological history between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The proportions of abnormal lymphocytes and white blood cell counts in the nucleic acid negative group were higher than those in the nucleic acid positive group (66.7% vs. 28.6%, P=0.041; 42.9% vs. 7.1%, P=0.028). The proportion of air bronchial signs in the nucleic acid negative group was higher than that in the nucleic acid positive group (47.6% vs. 7.1%, P=0.023). There was no significant difference in other high-resolution CT imaging findings between the two groups (P>0.05).ConclusionsCommon-type coronavirus disease 2019 patients have certain positive findings on chest high-resolution CT imagings. In clinical practice, high-resolution CT and other factors can be combined to assist in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019.
Objective To clarify the specific clinical predictive efficacy of CT and serological indicators for the progression of connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) to progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). Methods Patients who were diagnosed with CTD-ILD in Chest Hospital of Zhengzhou University Between January 2020 and December 2021 were recruited in the study. Clinical data and high-resolution CT results of the patients were collected. The patients were divided into a stable group and a progressive group (PPF group) based on whether PPF occurred during follow-up. COX proportional hazards regression was used to identify risk factors affecting the progression of CTD-ILD to PPF, and a risk prediction model was established based on the results of the COX regression model. The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated through internal cross-validation. Results A total of 194 patients diagnosed with CTD-ILD were enrolled based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among them, 34 patients progressed to PPF during treatment, and 160 patients did not progress. The variables obtained at lambda$1se in LASSO regression were ANCA associated vasculitis, lymphocytes, albumin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum ferritin. Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that the extent of fibrosis, serum ferritin, albumin, and age were independent risk factors for the progression of CTD-ILD to PPF (all P<0.05). A prediction model was established based on the results of the multivariate COX regression analysis. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve at 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months was 0.989, 0.931, and 0.797, respectively, indicating that the model has good discrimination and sensitivity, and good predictive efficacy. The calibration curve showed a good overlap between predicted and actual values. Conclusions The extent of fibrosis, serum ferritin, albumin, and age are independent risk factors for the progression of CTD-ILD to PPF. The model established based on this and externally validated shows good predictive efficacy.