CT scores of emphysema and oxygen desaturation during low-grade exercise in patients with emphysema

Purpose: We evaluated the usefulness of CT for assessing oxygen desaturatio n during walking inpatients with emphysema. Material and Methods: The study comprised 32 patients with emphysema (mean age 67+/-6 years). Serial CT images of 5 mm were obtained from the apex to the basal regions of the lung during deep inspiration. The severity of emph ysema was scored by four physicians according to a visual method. A six-min ute walking test and oxygen desaturation (pSO(2)) measurements were perform ed. Results and Conclusion: The mean CT score of the four observers was signifi cantly correlated with the nadir pSO(2) and Delta pSO(2), but did nor corre late with the total distance walked. These results suggest that CT may be u sed for the assessment of oxygen desaturation during low-grade exercise in patients with emphysema.