Computed tomography lung parenchymal descriptions in routine radiological reporting have diagnostic and prognostic utility in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with lung disease
BackgroundPatients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and lung disease may pose a diagnostic dilemma between idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and PH associated with lung disease (PH-CLD). The prognostic impact of common CT parenchymal features is unknown.Methods660 IPAH and PH-CLD patients assessed between 2001–19 were included. Reports for all CT scans one year prior to diagnosis were analysed for common lung parenchymal patterns. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed.ResultsAt univariate analysis of the whole cohort, centrilobular ground glass (CGG) changes (Hazard Ratio, HR 0.29) and ground glass opacification (GGO, HR 0.53) predicted improved survival while honeycombing (HR 2.79), emphysema (HR 2.09) and fibrosis (HR 2.38) predicted worse survival (p all <0.001). Fibrosis was an independent predictor after adjusting for baseline demographics, PH severity and DLco (HR 1.37, p<0.05). Patients with a clinical diagnosis of IPAH who had an absence of reported parenchymal lung disease (IPAH-noLD) demonstrated superior survival to patients diagnosed with either IPAH who had coexistent CT lung disease or PH-CLD (2-year survival of 85%, 60% and 46% respectively, p<0.05). CGG changes were present in 23.3% of IPAH-noLD and 5.8% of PH-CLD patients. There was no significant difference in survival between IPAH-noLD patients with or without CGG changes. PH-CLD patients with fibrosis had worse survival than those with emphysema.InterpretationRoutine clinical reports of CT lung parenchymal disease identify groups of patients IPAH and CLD-PH with significantly different prognoses. Isolated CGG changes are not uncommon in IPAH but are not associated with worse survival.