Journal
EXPERT REVIEW OF RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
Volume 10, Issue 4, Pages 417-429Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1586/17476348.2016.1155455
Keywords
spirometry; COPD; body plethysmography; washout tests; small airways; computed tomography
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Funding
- CNPq-Brazil
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Genome Canada
- Canadian Respiratory Research Network (CRRN)
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The small airways are characterized by an internal diameter < 2mm and absence of cartilage. Approximately 10-25% of total airway resistance in healthy lungs is due to the small airways, with their contribution to total airway resistance increasing substantially in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As the small airways are located in the lung periphery, they are not easily evaluable, which can potentially interfere with the diagnosis (especially at early stages), monitoring, detection of responses to clinical interventions, and prognostic evaluation in COPD. Here, we will discuss the currently available methods in clinical practice to evaluate small airway disease in COPD, focusing on the concept, advantages, and disadvantages of each method.
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