New imaging method distinguishes inflammation from lung fibrosis
· News-MedicalA new SPECT/CT imaging approach can accurately differentiate inflammation from fibrosis in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients, according to new research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting. This molecular imaging technique has the potential to determine which patients would benefit from anti-inflammatory treatments and which would likely only experience harmful side effects.
ILD includes more than 200 different types of lung conditions, and affects approximately 650,000 people in the United States, resulting in an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 deaths per year. Differentiating between fibrotic scarring and inflammation stages of disease is critical so that physicians can determine what treatment is best for the patient.
Druin Burch, consultant physician, John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, United KingdomWe saw during the Covid-19 pandemic -- when all patients with the infection had inflammation that anti-inflammatory treatments were highly effective. While current imaging techniques can provide a structural view of fibrosis in the lungs, there is no reliable, non-invasive way to identify inflammation. A tool that could detect inflammation in ILD patients could help pinpoint those most likely to respond to anti-inflammatory therapy."
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