Relationship of computed tomography-based measurements with symptom perception and quality of life in patients with severe asthma

Jeong et al. explored the correlation between CT-based measurements and subjective symptom perception in severe asthma. The study involved 94 patients from the Korean Severe Asthma Registry, utilizing AVIEW software to assess airway and lung metrics, such as wall thickness (WT), hydraulic diameter (Dh), functional small airway disease (fSAD), and emphysema (Emph%). Symptom perception was recorded using a visual analog scale, while quality of life (QOL) was measured by the Severe Asthma Questionnaire. Findings indicated that WT was linked to cough severity, and fSAD was associated with dyspnea. Additionally, increased WT and Emph% correlated with poorer QOL scores, particularly affecting mental and physical domains. Unlike CT measurements, conventional lung function tests showed no significant associations with symptom perception or QOL. This study highlights CT’s potential for providing insight into severe asthma, suggesting its use in personalized patient management. Limitations include a small sample size and cross-sectional design.