Fractal analysis of low attenuation clusters on computed tomography in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The fractal dimension characterizing the cumulative size distribution of low attenuation area (LAA) clusters, identified with a fixed threshold such as - 950 Hounsfield Units (HU), on computed tomography (CT) sensitively detects parenchymal destruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) even when the percent LAA (LAA%), a standard emphysema index, is unchanged. This study examines whether the cumulative size distribution of LAA clusters, defined with thresholds of the 15th, 25th, and 35th percentiles of a CT density histogram instead of the fixed-threshold of - 950 HU, exhibits a fractal property and whether its fractal dimension (D'15, D'25, and D'35, respectively) provides additional structural information in emphysematous lungs that is difficult to detect

SUBMITTER: Tanabe N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6116481 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature