A study of correlation between transhilar diameter and P pulmonale in COPD patients

• Main Authors: Ravindran C, Padmanabhan K, Sreedhar Rejna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2008-01-01
• Series: Lung India
• Subjects: Transhilar Diameter; Hilar thoracic index; P pulmonale
• Online Access: http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2008;volume=25;issue=4;spage=145;epage=147;aulast=Ravindran
• ISSN: 0970-2113; 0974-598X

<b>Background: </b> Early diagnosis and therapy of Pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients may help in retardation of progression and amelioration of symptoms. This is an attempt to diagnose the disease from X-ray chest of COPD patients, so that invasive in-vestigations can be avoided. <b> Objectives: </b> (1) Measurement of transhilar diameter in Chest X-ray PA view of COPD patients and its importance in detection of pulmonary hyper-tension. (2) To study correlation between P pulmonale and transhilar diameter / hilar thoracic ratio. Design: Prospective Clinical study. Setting: Institute of Chest Diseases, Medical College, Calicut. <b> Period of study: </b> One year from September 2002 to August 2003. <b> Materials and Methods: </b> 100 patients admitted to Institute of Chest Diseases with COPD and ECG evidence of P pulmonale and/or RVH were included. Chest X-rays was taken and the following diameters were measured. Transhilar diameter, hilar thoracic ratio, width of descending branch of (Rt) pulmonary artery and cardiothoracic ratio. <b> Conclu-sions: </b> Chest X-ray can be used for identification of pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients. Positive correlation was seen between P pulmonale and hilar thoracic ratio. Posi-tive correlation was also seen between P pulmonale and other parameters like smoking status, symptom duration, ECG evidence of RVH and negative correlation was seen with &#x0025; predicted FEV₁.