Diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography findings in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Abstract

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common chronic lung disease in newborns and premature infants. Low radiation dose high-resolution chest computed tomography (CT) holds great potential for providing valuable information related to the severity of BPD in premature infants and guiding the treatment strategy. The study aimed to evaluate the chest CT findings in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Material and methods: The study included a total of 32 premature infants with BPD who underwent a high-resolution chest CT between January 2015 and February 2018. Their CT findings were analyzed and diagnostic value evaluated. Results: The 3 most frequent CT findings included: mosaic lung parenchymal pattern – noted in 93.8% (30/32) patients, bronchial wall thickening – noted in 90.6% (29/32) patients and subpleural triangular/linear opacities – noted in 87.5% (28/32) patients. The diagnostic accuracy of each CT finding was as follows: mosaic lung parenchymal pattern – 89.13% (95% CI from 76.43% to 96.38%), bronchial wall thickening – 85.42% (95% CI from 72.24% to 93.93%), subpleural triangular/linear opacities – 81.25% (95% CI from 69.54% to 89.92%). Conclusions: Low radiation dose high-resolution chest computed tomography provided valuable diagnostic information in premature infants with BPD. The most accurate diagnostic finding was the mosaic lung parenchymal pattern, which was frequently associated with bronchial wall thickening and subpleural triangular/linear opacities.