An alternative method of analyzing lung CT scans may offer a better way to explain and diagnose lung damage in military personnel, according to a new study.
Parametric Response Mapping (PRM), a form of computational analysis of images in high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans, was found to be effective in identifying and quantifying lung inflammation in military veterans, even when traditional lung capacity tests returned normal readings.
Using PRM, researchers from the University of Michigan showed that veterans diagnosed with constrictive bronchiolitis—inflammation of the small airways, often caused by smoking, air pollution, or work environment—had disease progression comparable to patients with mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The findings were detailed in a report published in May, in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine….