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. 2016 Mar;4(5):87.
doi: 10.21037/atm.2016.03.08.

Chest CT abnormalities and quality of life: relationship in adult cystic fibrosis

Aoife Kilcoyne  1 , Lisa P Lavelle  1 , Colin J McCarthy  1 , Sinead H McEvoy  1 , Hannah Fleming  1 , Annika Gallagher  1 , Martine Loeve  1 , Harm Tiddens  1 , Edward McKone  1 , Charles C Gallagher  1 , Jonathan D Dodd  1
Affiliations

Chest CT abnormalities and quality of life: relationship in adult cystic fibrosis

Aoife Kilcoyne et al. Ann Transl Med. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the relationship between lung parenchymal abnormalities on chest CT and health-related quality of life in adult cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods: The chest CT scans of 101 consecutive CF adults (mean age 27.8±7.9, 64 males) were prospectively scored by two blinded radiologists in consensus using a modified Bhalla score. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the revised Quittner Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire (CFQ-R). Multiple regressions were performed with each of the CFQ-R domains and all clinical and imaging findings to assess independent correlations.

Results: There were 18 inpatients and 83 outpatients. For the cohort of inpatients, CT abnormalities were significantly (P<0.005 for all) associated with Respiratory Symptoms (Air Trapping), and also with Social Functioning (Consolidation) and Role Functioning (Consolidation). For outpatients, CT abnormalities were significantly (P<0.005 for all) associated with Respiratory Symptoms (Consolidation) and also with Physical Functioning (Consolidation), Vitality (Consolidation, Severity of Bronchiectasis), Eating Problems (airway wall thickening), Treatment Burden (Total CT Score), Body Image (Severity of Bronchiectasis) and Role Functioning (Tree-in-bud nodules). Consolidation was the commonest independent CT predictor for both inpatients (predictor for 2 domains) and outpatients (predictor in 3 domains). Several chest CT abnormalities excluded traditional measures such as FEV1 and BMI from the majority of CFQ-R domains.

Conclusions: Chest CT abnormalities are significantly associated with quality of life measures in adult CF, independent of clinical or spirometric measurements.

Keywords: Computed tomography (CT); cystic; fibrosis; pulmonary; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A 15-year-old male outpatient with moderate CF lung disease. (A) Chest CT image shows multifocal consolidation (arrows) in the right lung. (B) Bar graph of Respiratory Symptoms plotted against consolidation on chest CT for all outpatients (R=0.38, P<0.001). This patient scored ‘severe’ for consolidation and scored 44 (poor) on the Respiratory Symptom domain of the CFT-R.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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