[Diagnosis and examination for COPD. Imaging].

COPD is a chronic inflammatory disease with various comorbidities. Pulmonary emphysema and airway remodeling are two major pathological abnormalities in COPD, and these components can be quantified with imaging techniques such as chest computer assisted tomography (CT). Using CT images, we can evaluate local and regional information in the lung that cannot be obtained by other clinical indices such as pulmonary function tests. Furthermore, the alteration in pulmonary vasculature and chest wall including skeletal muscles and bones can be also evaluated in chest CT images. Recently, regional lung volume assessment using nonrigid image registration techniques or oxygenated oxygen-enhanced MR imaging are developed as functional imaging techniques to evaluate regional oxygenation or ventilation.