Computed tomography quantification of pulmonary vessels in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as identified by 3D automated approach.

The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular alteration of the whole lung and individual lobes in patients with COPD, and assess the association between pulmonary vessels and the extent and distribution of emphysema as well as pulmonary function by a 3-dimensional automated approach.A total of 83 computed tomography images from COPD patients were analyzed. Automated computerized approach was used to measure the total number of vessels at the fifth generation.