title: Chest radiography and high resolution computed tomography of the lungs in asthma.
abstract: CT scans have been studied only in asthmatics who were smokers, and no such study has been performed in patients with chronic uncomplicated asthma where a permanent bronchial destruction is likely to occur after a long course of the disease. The object of the study was to characterize CT-scan abnormalities and determine whether bronchial destructive lesions may be observed. Fifty-seven adults with chronic asthma of variable severity and etiology and 10 normal subjects were studied. None of the subjects smoked. Chest radiographs and HR-CT scans were performed in all patients. To discriminate between reversible and irreversible CT-scan abnormalities, two examinations were made in 10 patients with acute asthma both before and 2 wk after parenteral high dose corticosteroid treatment. The chest radiographs showed the expected abnormalities of asthma in 37.8% of the asthmatics. CT scans were abnormal in 71.9% of the asthmatics. Reversible abnormalities included mucoid impactions, acinar pattern, and lobar collapse. Irreversible abnormalities included bronchiectasis, bronchial wall-thickening, sequellar line shadows, and emphysema. Most of these abnormalities are likely to be related to bronchial destruction.
authors.affiliation: Clinique des Maladies Respiratoires, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paganin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trussard
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seneterre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chanez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giron
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godard
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sénac
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bousquet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000420:Albuterol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000420:Albuterol; D008775:Methylprednisolone