title: Bronchial thermoplasty: interventional therapy in asthma.
abstract: Bronchial thermoplasty is a new treatment option for patients with severe bronchial asthma who remain symptomatic despite maximal medical therapy. The aim of this interventional therapy option is the reduction of smooth muscle in the central and peripheral airways in order to reduce symptomatic bronchoconstriction via the application of heat. A full treatment with bronchial thermoplasty is divided into three bronchoscopies. Randomized, controlled clinical trials have shown an increase in quality of life, a reduction in severe exacerbations, and decreases in emergency department visits as well as days lost from school or work. The trials did not show a reduction in hyperresponsiveness or improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Short-term adverse effects include an increase in exacerbation rate, an increase in respiratory infections and an increase in hospitalizations. In the 5-year follow up of the studies available there was evidence of clinical and functional stability of the treated patients. Further studies are necessary to identify an asthma phenotype that responds well to this treatment.
authors: Philine Kaukel, MD Department of Pulmonology, Thoraxklinik at the University of Heidelberg, Amalienstr. 5, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Philine
authors: P
authors: Kaukel
authors: Felix J F
authors: FJ
authors: Herth
authors: Maren
authors: M
authors: Schuhmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016084:Bronchoconstriction; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: asthma; bronchial thermoplasty; bronchoscopy; interventional therapy