Model Simulations of Pulmonary Edema: Phantom Studies with Computed Tomography

Histologic and radiographic evidence suggests that in pulmonary edema the sequence of fluid accumulation in the lung is quantal (all-or-none). We believe that this is reflected in the bimodal distribution of density values at computed tomography of the chest. To test this hypothesis, computed tomography scans of a lung water phantom—a polyether sponge containing various amounts of water—were performed. It was found that the distribution of density values observed in clinical and experimental pulmonary edema could be simulated very closely. This serves as further indirect support for the relevance of this hypothesis.