Airway count and emphysema assessed by chest CT imaging predicts clinical outcome in smokers

AA Diaz, C Valim, T Yamashiro, RSJ Estépar, JC Ross… - Chest, 2010 - Elsevier
Background Recently, it has been shown that emphysematous destruction of the lung is
associated with a decrease in the total number of terminal bronchioles. It is unknown
whether a similar decrease is visible in the more proximal airways. We aimed to assess the
relationships between proximal airway count, CT imaging measures of emphysema, and
clinical prognostic factors in smokers, and to determine whether airway count predicts the
BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index. Methods In 50 …