Correlation of CT findings with clinical evaluations in 261 patients with symptomatic bronchiectasis.

In a multicenter study, we evaluated the relationships between the extent and severity of bronchiectasis on CT and clinical symptoms, spirometric abnormality, and sputum characteristics.The study population included 261 patients with symptomatic, physiologically significant bronchiectasis, who were enrolled in another study evaluating the clinical efficacy of deoxyribonudease in treatment of bronchiectasis. Patients with cystic fibrosis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and fungal or mycobacterial infection were excluded. In addition to high-resolution CT scanning, all patients underwent clinical evaluation, spirometry, and sputum culture. CT features scored by consensus of two observers included the extent of bronchiectasis, type of bronchiectasis (cylindric, varicose, or cystic), extent of mucoid impaction, and degree of bronchial wall thickening.Scores for the severity and extent of bronchiectasis correlated with the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) (r = -.362, p < .0001) and with the f...