Usefulness of CT Quantification-Based Assessment in Defining Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis

Yura Ahn et al. developed a CT quantification threshold for detecting radiological progression in progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). The study analyzed 97 patients with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) using quantitative analysis software (Aview). Radiological progression was defined as a ΔQILD of ≥4%, which demonstrated excellent agreement (97.9%) with visual assessments. The study found that both visual and quantitative measures of radiological progression independently predicted poor overall survival (OS). These results underscore the potential for quantitative thresholds to offer more objective and reproducible criteria for PPF diagnosis. However, limitations include a single-center cohort and retrospective design. Future research should validate the findings in diverse populations and explore the application of quantitative thresholds in broader ILD contexts. This study highlights a path toward standardizing PPF evaluation and improving clinical decision-making in patients with CTD-ILD.