Small airways diseases, excluding asthma and COPD:

an overview

+Author Affiliations

For a full list of affiliations see the Acknowledgements section

D. Dusser, Service de Pneumologie, Hôpital Cochin, 27 rue du Faubourg St Jacques, 75679 Paris Cedex 14, France. E-mail: daniel.dusser@cch.aphp.fr

Abstract

This review is the summary of a workshop on small airways disease, which took place in Porquerolles, France in November 2011. The purpose of this workshop was to review the evidence on small airways (bronchiolar) involvement under various pathophysiological circumstances, excluding asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Histopathological patterns associated with small airways disease were reviewed, including cellular and obliterative bronchiolitis. Many pathophysiological conditions have been associated with small airways disease including airway infections, connective tissue diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases, bone marrow and lung transplantation, common variable immunodeficiency disorders, diffuse panbronchiolitis, and diseases related to environmental exposures to pollutants, allergens and drugs. Pathogenesis, clinical presentation, a computed tomography scan and pulmonary function test findings are reviewed, and therapeutic options are described with the objective of providing an integrative approach to these disorders.

doi:10.1183/09059180.00001313

Eur Respir Rev June 1, 2013 vol. 22 no. 128 131-147

Footnotes

↵We dedicate this manuscript to honour the legacy of our dear co-author and friend Isabelle Tillie-Leblond (1965–2013), for her outstanding contribution to respiratory disease care and research, and her unconditional friendship.
Provenance

Publication of this peer-reviewed article was supported by Chiesi SA, France (article sponsor, European Respiratory Review issue 128).
Statement of Interest

Conflict of interest information can be found alongside the online version of this article at err.ersjournals.com