Assessment of the respiratory system in children with congenital scoliosis by impulse oscillometry and computed tomography (preliminary results)

BACKGROUND: Segmentation disorder of the vertebral body lateral surfaces and rib synostosis are severe variants of congenital pathology of the spine and thorax. They lead to the development of thoracic insufficiency syndrome and are manifested by the inability of the thorax to provide normal respiratory mechanics. AIM: This study presents the preliminary results of functional and radiological (CT-morphometric) methods of lung examinations in patients with congenital thoracic spine scoliosis with impaired segmentation of the lateral surfaces of the vertebral bodies and unilateral rib synostosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This design is represented by a small clinical series. This study is a prospective study of 10 patients aged 3 to 7 years with congenital spinal deformity, with impaired segmentation of the lateral surfaces of vertebral bodies and unilateral rib synostosis. This paper presents the preliminary results of the pulmonary function assessment by pulse oscillometry and CT morphometry in a 3D reconstruction of multispiral computer tomography (MSCT) of the thorax. RESULTS: The study of respiratory function using pulse oscillometry revealed no respiratory impairment in seven observations, also reflected in the CT morphometry results. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), three children with detected ventilatory abnormalities showed the following parameters with the most significant changes: total respiratory impedance, resonance frequency, and frequency dependence of the resistive component. In all patients, the morphometric indexes of the lung scoring revealed during 3D modeling of the lung were completely consistent with the results of the lung function study by the IOM method. CONCLUSIONS: Further study of the problem of respiratory function assessment in children with congenital scoliosis seems promising in diagnostic terms and for evaluating effective surgical treatment.