Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to obtain more accurate data on the electron density of the lungs in healthy subjects and to determine the factors that influence this value.
Material and Methods: Single kVp quantitative CT was applied in 130 normal adults (61 men and 69 women) to study the electron density of the lung.
Results: The electron density of the lung in men was lower than that in women. In contrast, the area designated as lung in men was larger than that in women. The mean electron density decreased with increasing age in men, but not in women. The following parameters were not found to influence lung electron density: body mass, body height, smoking habits, and right or left lung. The electron density of the lung medial to the thoracic wall and close to the breast was lower than the density in the entire lung parenchyma.
Conclusion: Quantitative CT provided the means to study noninvasively the electron density of the lung and the factors that influence this value.