Evaluating Pulmonary Artery Measurements in Pulmonary Hypertension Patients Secondary to Interstitial Lung Disease Using Computed Tomography

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of interstitial lung disease (ILD), associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Computed tomography (CT) provides a non-invasive method to assess pulmonary artery (PA) enlargement, which may correlate with PH. Objectives: To evaluate the utility of CT-derived PA diameter measurements in predicting PH in ILD patients.Methods: An observations assessment of 48 ILD patients who underwent CT and right heart catheterization (RHC) was conducted. The main PA diameter (MPAD), PA-to-aorta ratio (PA/A) and right ventricular (RV) dimensions were measured. PH was defined as mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) ≥25 mmHg on RHC.Results: PH was present in 62.5% (n=30) of patients. MPAD ≥29 mm had 83.3% sensitivity and 72.2% specificity for PH detection (AUC=0.82, p<0.001). The PA/A ratio ≥1.0 showed 76.7% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity (AUC=0.79, p=0.002). RV hypertrophy was more prevalent in PH-positive patients (p=0.01).Conclusion: CT-measured PA enlargement correlates with PH in ILD patients, supporting its role as a non-invasive screening tool.