Table 3. Established and potential indications of lung densitometry.

Established indications of lung densitometry

Emphysema detection, distribution and severity

Patients with COPD (phenotypic characterization, treatment choice)

Asymptomatic smokers or former smokers (prevalence of emphysema in cross-sectional studies)

Subjects with α1-antitripsin deficiency (natural history of disease)

Emphysema progression (longitudinal studies)

Asymptomatic smokers or former smokers

Patients with α1-antitripsin deficiency

COPD patients

Surrogate marker of replacement therapy

Patients with α1-antitripsin deficiency (clinical trials)

Staging

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Pulmonary fibrosis (IPF and systemic sclerosis)

Surrogate end point in clinical trials

Pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, systemic sclerosis)

Potential indications of lung densitometry

Surrogate end point

Lung volume reduction surgery or endobronchial intervention for emphysema

Co-existing emphysematous and fibrotic changes

In COPD and IPF

In Cystic Fibrosis

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases; IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.