Retrospective comparison of high-resolution computed tomography of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis with severe asthma

作者:Lin, Xiaofeng; Lin, Yuejiao; Lai, Zhengdao; Wei, Shushan; Qiu, Minzhi; Li, Jianyu; Liu, Qin; Chung, Kian Fan; Zeng, Qingsi*; Zhang, Qingling*
来源:Annals of Translational Medicine, 2021, 9(12): 983.
DOI:10.21037/atm-21-2243

摘要

Background: Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis ( EGPA) is often misdiagnosed as severe asthma due to their similar clinical presentations. We compared the pulmonary radiologic features of EGPA to those of severe asthma by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in order to early diagnose EGPA. @@@ Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical records and HRCT findings of 96 patients with EGPA and 82 patients with severe asthma who were seen at our hospital from 2011 to 2017. We used a semi-quantitative grading system to evaluate radiological findings. A radiological only and a clinical-radiological model were used to differentiate EGPA from severe asthma. @@@ Results: Bronchial wall thickening, air trapping, tree-in-bud opacities, bronchial mucus plugging, bronchiectasis, diffuse ground-glass opacities (GGOs), consolidation, and increased small vascular markings were more common in EGPA patients than in severe asthmatics (P<0.05). The gradings of GGO (grade 2 vs. grade 1) and tree-in-bud opacities (grade 2 vs. grade 0) were higher in EGPA patients than in severe asthmatics. The total image score of EGPA patients was significantly higher than that of severe asthmatics (P<0.05). In the radiological only and the clinical-radiological model, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) for the identification of EGPA and severe asthma were 0.904 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.860 to 0.948] and 0.974 (95% CI: 0.955 to 0.993), respectively. @@@ Conclusions: Lung HRCT scan is useful in differentiating EGPA from severe asthma. In patients with difficult-to-treat asthma, an HRCT scan of the thorax should be performed should there be features that raise the suspicion of EGPA.

  • 单位
    中山大学; 1; 广州医学院; 东莞市人民医院; 南方医科大学