TY - JOUR T1 - Pulmonary artery diameter but not diameter ratio is indicative of pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2015.PA3742 VL - 46 IS - suppl 59 SP - PA3742 AU - Els Bakker AU - Maarten Ninaber AU - Jan Stolk AU - Lucia Kroft AU - Anne Schouffoer AU - Berend Stoel Y1 - 2015/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA3742.abstract N2 - Introduction: In COPD, the ratio between pulmonary artery and aorta diameters (PA:A ratio) higher than 1 is considered indicative for pulmonary (arterial) hypertension (PAH). Since PAH is a known cause for mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc), the PA:A ratio could be applied in SSc patients as well, but this needs evaluation.Objectives: To test whether high PA:A ratio in (limited and diffuse) SSc patients is indicative for the presence of PAH and to explore parameters that influence the PA:A ratio.Methods: Diameters of the pulmonary artery (PA) and ascending aorta (A) proximal to the PA bifurcation were measured in CT scans from 50 SSc patients (> 40 yrs, 19 limited, 31 diffuse) including 21 diagnosed with PAH. Correlations between PA:A ratio and patient characteristics, lung function and lung fibrosis as measured by lung densitometry (Perc85, see Ninaber MK et al, Eur J Radiol 2015, Jan 22) were studied.Results: PA:A ratios > 1 were found in 26% of cases. However, PA:A ratio was not significantly larger in the PAH group (0.95±0.13 vs. 0.88±0.14, p=0.054), whereas the absolute PA diameter was increased (32.7±4.5 mm vs 29.6±4.7 mm, p=0.027). Diffuse SSc with PAH showed the highest PA:A ratios of all sub-groups (1.00 ± 0.11, ANOVA, p=0.001), mainly due to enlarged PA diameters (34.9 ± 4.2 mm, p=0.001). Perc85 was higher in diffuse SSc type (p=0.009). High Perc85 and high body mass index (BMI) were prognostic for high PA:A ratio.Conclusion: Absolute PA diameter but not PA:A ratio seems indicative of PAH in SSc. Perc85 and BMI are predictors for PA:A ratio, but their influences on the PA:A ratio could not be fully explained. Future studies on the PA diameter are therefore needed. ER -