Extract
Accurate diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is essential to ensure prompt initiation of appropriate treatment and enrolment in clinical trials. According to current international guidelines [1], in the appropriate clinical context the identification of the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on chest high-resolution computed tomography (CT) allows a confident diagnosis of IPF. Patients referred to tertiary centres for suspected interstitial lung disease (ILD) may provide CT images that do not fulfil recommended scanning protocols [1], therefore triggering the execution of another CT. However, the impact of suboptimal technical quality on the identification of the UIP pattern by thoracic radiologists is unknown. We assessed the quality of chest CT scans performed in the context of an ILD network including a tertiary ILD centre (hub) and the affiliated centres (spokes), and the impact on the identification of the UIP pattern.
Abstract
CT technical quality affects the recognition of the UIP pattern by thoracic radiologists. Optimal CT scanning protocols should be implemented in spoke centres to speed up the diagnostic work-up of IPF, reducing costs and further radiation exposure. http://bit.ly/2Jo4EqQ
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: G. Sgalla reports personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: A.R. Larici has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A. Re has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A. Farchione has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: G. Cicchetti has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: L. Calandriello has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A. Comes has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: N. Golfi has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: B. Iovene has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: F. Varone has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: R. Manfredi has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: L. Richeldi reports personal fees for consultancy from Sanofi-Aventis, ImmuneWorks, Celgene, Nitto and Bristol Myers Squibb, personal fees for advisory board work from Roche, Fibrogen and Promedior, personal fees for lecturing from Shionogi, personal fees for steering committee work from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees for editorial activities from DynaMed, outside the submitted work.
Support statement: The study was funded in part by the Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. A. Re was supported by a research grant from the Italian Respiratory Society.
- Received January 14, 2019.
- Accepted March 17, 2019.
- Copyright ©ERS 2019
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