Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in infancy is a risk factor for lung disease later in life. We aimed to characterize structural abnormalities by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in adult individuals born preterm. We included individuals born preterm (<32 gestational weeks) with (n=24) or without (n=23) a previous diagnosis of BPD, and compared them to patients with mild allergic asthma (>37 weeks, n=22) and healthy controls (>37 weeks, n=24) from the LUNAPRE cohort (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02923648). Their median (range) age was 19.8 (18.3-24.0) years. All participants underwent inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans which blindly were interpreted by two experienced reviewers using a scoring system.
Linear/triangular subpleural lung opacities (p<0.05 for both), and local hypoattenuation (p<0.01) were more common in individuals with BPD compared to the other groups. Architectural distortion was more common in the BPD group compared to healthy controls and asthmatic individuals (p<0.01, p<0.05).
Bronchial wall thickening was more frequent in the BPD group compared to healthy and premature individuals (p<0.05 for both). In individuals with BPD, air trapping was predominant compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). At least one HRCT abnormality was found in most (92%) premature with BPD compared to premature without BPD (74%), asthmatics (73%) and healthy controls (62%).
We conclude that most young adults with a history of BPD have structural lung abnormalities on HRCT, which is likely a consequence of lung insults in the neonatal period. These findings may be linked to functional impairment and lung disease later in adulthood.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 3371.
This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2020