Emphysema index (EI) based on CT provides a quantitative measure of emphysema burden in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Diffusion-weighted MRI of inhaled hyperpolarized gases also provides a method for detecting emphysema, as elevated ADC values indicate airspace enlargement due to emphysematous destruction of alveolar walls. We propose an alternative formulation of EI based on He-3 or Xe-129 ADC measurements and compare their performance in characterizing emphysema severity with that of CT-EI. Our results suggest that ADC-EI may provide a useful quantitative measure of emphysema burden in patients with COPD that is more sensitive to early stages of emphysema than CT-EI.
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