title: Bronchial thermoplasty: therapeutic success in severe asthma associated with persistent airflow obstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe persistent asthma is a disabling condition associated with significant morbidity and rising mortality worldwide. The recent advent of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) has offered a revolutionary therapeutic option for the treatment of severe persistent asthma. This minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedure focuses on anatomical manipulation of bronchial smooth muscle to attenuate airway hyperresponsiveness.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case report describes treatment of a 42-year-old female with BT for her debilitating asthma. Following a complicated treatment course of BT, she attained significant relief from her symptoms and had noticeably improved functionality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case represents BT success and a change to the traditional paradigm governing the treatment of refractory asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Amit K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: D Kyle
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hogarth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D013147:Spirometry