Airway involvement in inflammatory bowel disease: Inflammatory bowel disease patients have bronchial wall thickening

Background: Recent epidemiological studies have revealed a high co-occurrence of asthma or COPD and IBD. Herein, we examined the impact of IBD on the bronchial wall structure using three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT). Methods: Subjects who were diagnosed with IBD and had undergone chest CT were recruited from consecutive medical records. Screening chest CT scan data during the same period were used as normal controls. Airway dimensions were measured by validated software. Results: Overall, 136 IBD and 99 control subjects were recruited. The bronchial walls of patients with IBD were significantly thicker than those of control subjects. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were independent determinants of wall area percentage after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking status. Conclusions: Airway walls in patients with IBD were thicker than those in normal control subjects. Airway involvement in IBD may be more frequent than recognized.