• Kosaku Komiya, Hiroshi Ishii, Junji Murakami, Hidehiko Yamamoto, Fumito Okada, Katashi Satoh, Osamu Takahashi, Takeshi Johkoh, and Jun-ichi Kadota.
• Department of Internal Medicine 2, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Oita, Japan, 1-1 Idaigaoka Hasama-machi, Oita, Japan 879-5593. komiyakh1@oita-u.ac.jp
• Acad Radiol. 2012 Jul 1;19(7):851-6.

Rationale And ObjectivesBrain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a useful biomarker for the assessment of cardiogenic pulmonary edema. This study evaluated the relationship between computed tomography (CT) findings and plasma BNP levels in patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema.Materials And MethodsTwenty-nine consecutive outpatients with severe respiratory failure from cardiogenic edema presenting to emergency departments were enrolled. They underwent chest CT and plasma BNP levels were measured in the emergency room. CT findings were independently evaluated by two radiologists who were unaware of the patients' clinical information.ResultsThe plasma BNP levels only correlated with the volume of pleural effusion in each side (right: r(s) = 0.519, P = .004; left: r(s) = 0.460, P = .012). No significant correlation was observed between the BNP levels and the findings of lung parenchyma or cardiovascular enlargement.ConclusionEstimating the pleural effusion volume with CT may be a feasible method as well as measuring the plasma BNP level in the assessment of acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema.Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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