Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Automated high-resolution CT analysis outperforms visual assessment in predicting interstitial lung disease progression in SSc
Authors' conclusion
Automated quantitative HRCT analysis, but not visual evaluation, predicts long-term functional progression in SSc-ILD.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with SSc-ILD with high-resolution CT (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) at baseline (T1) and after 1 year (T2), PFTs repeated 12 months after T2 (T3)
- Participants
- 33 patients
- Exposure
- Automated quantitative HRCT analysis vs visual assessment
- Outcome
- Identification of early SSc-ILD progression and prediction of subsequent functional decline (Erice/INBUILD criteria)
Methodological detailsblinded semi-quantitative visual scoring by two radiologists, automated analysis (Thoracic VCAR)
- Blinded semi-quantitative visual scoring by two radiologists
- Automated analysis (Thoracic VCAR)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prediction of functional decline at T3 by early (T1-T2) automatically-detected GGO increase
- Early (T1-T2) automatically-detected ground-glass opacity (GGO) increases predicted subsequent functional decline at T3
- P = 0.04
- GGO changes >50 ml (8.2%): sensitivity
- 81%
- GGO changes >50 ml (8.2%): specificity
- 77%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Fibrosis progression T1 → T2
- Visual: 1.5 → 1.6
- P = 0.0005
- Software: 0.34% → 0.4%
- P = 0.01
GGO and normal lung tissue (automated only) · T2
- GGO increase 15.5% → 15.8%
- P = 0.04
- Normal lung tissue reduced 75.6% → 73%
- P = 0.009
- Only automated analyses identified these changes
Correlation with PFT changes
- Software-derived parameters correlated strongly with PFT changes; visual scores showed weaker correlations
Original publication
Automated high-resolution CT analysis outperforms visual assessment in predicting interstitial lung disease progression in SSc. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 9 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →