To assess changes in regional ventilation (V), perfusion (Q), and V-Q mismatch in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after pharmacologic treatment using combined xenon-enhanced V and iodine-enhanced Q dual-energy CT (DECT).
Combined V and Q DECT were performed at baseline and after three-month pharmacologic treatment in 52 COPD patients. Anatomically co-registered virtual non-contrast images, V, Q, and V/Q ratio maps were obtained. V/Q pattern was visually determined to be matched, mismatched, or reversed-mismatched and compared with the regional parenchymal disease patterns of each segment. DECT parameters for V, Q, and V-Q imbalance were quantified.
The parenchymal patterns on CT were not changed at follow-up. The segments with matched V/Q pattern were increased (80.2% to 83.6%) as the segments with reversed-mismatched V/Q pattern were decreased with improving ventilation (17.6% to 13.8%) after treatment. Changes of V/Q patterns were mostly observed in segments with bronchial wall thickening. Compared with patients without bronchial wall thickening, the quantified DECT parameters of V-Q imbalance were significantly improved in patients with bronchial wall thickening ( p < 0.05). Changes in forced expiratory volume in one second after treatment were correlated with changes in the quantified DECT parameters ( r = 0.327–0.342 or r = −0.406 and −0.303; p < 0.05).