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Quantification of Structural Lung Abnormalities in Other Pulmonary Conditions

Addressing current challenges

In clinical studies, AI-based imaging assessment is increasingly used to support more objective evaluation of major lung disease areas such as COPD, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and severe asthma. At the same time, many other lung diseases present complex structural abnormalities that can benefit from more objective, quantitative assessment.

Across these conditions, airway pathology is a key structural component alongside parenchymal and vascular changes, contributing directly to disease burden and functional decline. These include bronchial dilatation, airway wall thickening, mucus plugging, vascular alterations, and air trapping. 

Many of these diseases are rare and heterogeneous, often with multiple comorbidities. While CT imaging plays a central role in evaluation, assessment still relies largely on visual interpretation. This makes it difficult to detect and quantify structural changes objectively, monitor progression, and accurately characterize disease to inform treatment strategies.

Advancing treatment strategies with AI

Thirona’s AI-enabled quantitative CT analyses are designed to address these challenges by providing detailed airway metrics, alongside objective, sensitive, and reproducible measurements of the lung parenchyma and pulmonary vasculature.  

These analyses have been extensively validated across a range of respiratory diseases, including complex patient populations with coexisting conditions. This robustness supports their application in additional diseases such as Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD), Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease. 

Thirona’s AI-enabled quantitative CT analyses are designed to address these challenges by providing objective, sensitive, and reproducible measurements of structural abnormalities across the airways, lung parenchyma, and pulmonary vasculature. By transforming CT images into quantitative biomarkers, these analyses support more comprehensive characterization of disease extent, severity, and progression.

These analyses have been validated across a range of respiratory diseases and diverse patient populations, including those with coexisting conditions. This robustness can support their application in additional pulmonary conditions such as interstitial lung diseases (ILD), primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), pulmonary hypertension (PH), and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease.

Pulmonary hypertension involves remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature and often occurs in association with underlying lung disease. Advanced CT-based vascular analysis can provide assessment of vascular structures and precisely quantify pulmonary arterial and venous volume distribution, enabling phenotyping of pulmonary vascular disease2 and track patient recovery and vascular changes following treatment3. 

Primary ciliary dyskinesia is a rare genetic disorder affecting mucociliary clearance and leading to recurrent infections, mucus retention and progressive airway damage. Quantitative imaging analysis can help detect and monitor mucus plugs and bronchial structural changes over time. 

Interstitial lung diseases represent a diverse group of disorders characterized by fibrosis, inflammation and structural remodeling of the lung parenchyma. Quantitative CT analysis can help characterize the distribution and extent of fibrotic abnormalities, while supporting longitudinal monitoring of structural disease progression, and provide supporting evidence for prediction of mortality1. 

NTM infections can lead to nodular, bronchiectatic and cavitary lung abnormalities, often with heterogeneous regional disease patterns. Quantitative CT analysis can support objective assessment of  structural bronchial abnormalities mucus impaction,  and help evaluate disease severity and early treatment response in clinical studies.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder predisposing to early-onset emphysema, typically with a basal predominant pattern of lung damage.

Post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD) refers to chronic respiratory abnormalities that persist after successful treatment for active tuberculosis (TB). The clinical spectrum of PTLD includes respiratory signs and symptoms, decreased lung function, increased mortality, and radiological abnormalities. Quantitative CT analysis can be used to objectively quantify permanent structural damage such as fibrosis and bronchiectasis.