We hypothesised that biomass smoke exposure is associated with an airway-predominant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotype, while tobacco-related COPD is associated with an emphysema-predominant phenotype. In this cross-sectional study, female never-smokers with COPD and biomass exposure (n=21) and female ex-cigarette smokers with COPD without biomass exposure (n=22) completed ...

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease characterized by airflow obstruction and lung hyperinflation leading to dyspnea and exercise capacity limitation. OBJECTIVES The present study was designed to evaluate whether an extra-fine combination of beclomethasone and formoterol (BDP/F) was effective in reducing air trapping in COPD patients with hyperinflation....

Quantitative image analysis of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) performed at residual volume, before and after methacholine, is a sensitive method of detecting small airways involvement in asthma and response to therapy targeted to the small airways. Since an oral anti-leukotriene reaches the small airways via the circulation, the present authors hypothesised that treatment with monte...

INTRODUCTION Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease is characterised by narrowing of the airways resulting in increased airway resistance, air-trapping and respiratory acidosis. These problems might be overcome using helium-oxygen gas mixture. However, the effect of mechanical ventilation with heliox in these patients is unclear. The objective of this prospective cros...

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a devastating disease.While there is no cure for COPD and the lung damage associated with this disease cannot be reversed, it is still very important to diagnose it as early as possible. OBJECTIVES In this paper, we propose a novel method based on the measurement of air trapping in the lungs from CT images to detect COPD and to evalua...

BACKGROUND Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthmatics is considered to be one of the major consequences of airway inflammation and remodelling. Airway responsiveness is normal in patients with eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), despite eosinophilic inflammation of the airways comparable to that which occurs in asthmatics. Comparisons between asthma and EB should clarify the changes in airway morpholog...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the utility of the inspiratory phase in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest for the diagnosis of post-bone marrow transplantation bronchiolitis obliterans. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study. We selected patients of either gender who underwent bone marrow transplantation and chest HRCT between March 1,...

This paper describes our attempt to devise a short text aimed at improving students' understanding of gas resorption in body cavities. Students are expected to understand the mechanisms behind paranasal sinusitis, otitis media, closed pneumothorax, and atelectasis of collapsed lung tissue, all used as examples. On the basis of the interpretation that during pneumothorax resorption, gas diffuses...