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Bronchial thermoplasty [1] is a treatment for severe asthma approved by the FDA in 2010 involving the delivery of controlled, therapeutic radiofrequency energy to the airway wall, thus heating the tissue and reducing the amount of smooth muscle present in the airway wall.
Asthma is characterised, in part, by recurrent episodes of reversible airway obstruction; however, in some patients, a degree of irreversible airway obstruction develops over time, leading to lung function decline and fibrosis. Existing airway remodelling may also contribute to bronchoconstriction in acute asthma exacerbations. [1] [2]
PB can present as a life threatening emergency when the casts obstruct the major airways resulting in acute respiratory distress. [4] [5] [6] Intervention by a skilled physician experienced with foreign body removal from the lungs is essential. Evaluation by means of bronchoscopy can be difficult and time consuming and is best performed under ...
The fundamental problem in asthma appears to be immunological: young children in the early stages of asthma show signs of excessive inflammation in their airways. Epidemiological findings give clues as to the pathogenesis : the incidence of asthma seems to be increasing worldwide, and asthma is now very much more common in affluent countries.
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. [4] Asthma occurs when allergens , pollen , dust, or other particles, are inhaled into the lungs, causing the bronchioles to constrict and produce mucus, which then restricts oxygen flow to the alveoli .
Illustration depicting bronchoconstriction (Asthma) Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle , with consequent coughing , wheezing , and shortness of breath .
The airways have a tone baseline, and consequently a baseline level of contraction of their smooth musculature. Airway tone is a key determinant of lung function and the presence of respiratory symptoms in obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, where baseline airway tone is elevated. [2]
Obstructive lung disease is a category of respiratory disease characterized by airway obstruction. Many obstructive diseases of the lung result from narrowing (obstruction) of the smaller bronchi and larger bronchioles, often because of excessive contraction of the smooth muscle itself.