CT analysis of lung density changes in patients undergoing total body irradiation prior to bone marrow transplantation

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004728-198410000-00014· OSTI ID:6449056

Lee, J Y; Shank, B; Bonfiglio, P; Reid, A

Sequential changes in lung density measured by CT are potentially sensitive and convenient monitors of lung abnormalities following total body irradiation (TBI). Methods have been developed to compare pre- and post-TBI CT of lung. The average local features of a cross-sectional lung slice are extracted from three peripheral regions of interest in the anterior, posterior, and lateral portions of the CT image. Also, density profiles across a specific region may be obtained. These may be compared first for verification of patient position and breathing status and then for changes between pre- and post-TBI. These may also be compared with radiation dose profiles through the lung. A preliminary study on 21 leukemia patients undergoing total body irradiation indicates the following: (a) Density gradients of patients' lungs in the antero-posterior direction show a marked heterogeneity before and after transplantation compared with normal lungs. The patients with departures from normal density gradients pre-TBI correlate with later pulmonary complications. (b) Measurements of average peripheral lung densities have demonstrated that the average lung density in the younger age group is substantially higher: pre-TBI, the average CT number (1,000 scale) is -638 +/- 39 Hounsfield unit (HU) for 0-10 years old and -739 +/- 53 HU for 21-40 years old. (c) Density profiles showed no post-TBI regional changes in lung density corresponding to the dose profile across the lung, so no differentiation of a radiation-specific effect has yet been possible. Computed tomographic density profiles in the antero-posterior direction are successfully used to verify positioning of the CT slice and the breathing level of the lung.

• Research Organization: Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
• OSTI ID: 6449056
• Journal Information: J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr.; (United States), Vol. 8:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LUNGS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DENSITY
BONE MARROW
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
PATIENTS
TRANSPLANTS
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
IRRADIATION
ORGANS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
TISSUES
TOMOGRAPHY
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man