Clinical and pathophysiological roles of lower lobe-dominant mucus plugs on computed tomography in patients with asthma with and without bronchiectasis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite the clinical relevance of mucus plugging, the role of spatial distribution of mucus plugs remains unclear in patients with asthma.

Objective

We sought to examine whether greater lower lobe mucus plug dominance is associated with more clinical and pathophysiological impairments in 2 cohorts, including patients with and without bronchiectasis.

Methods

Patients with asthma without and with clinical diagnosis of bronchiectasis underwent chest computed tomography at Kyoto University Hospital (Kyoto cohort) and Japanese multicenters (bronchiectasis and asthma [BEXAS] cohort), respectively. Mucus plugs in airways were visually scored on computed tomography, and the difference in mucus plug score between lower and upper-middle lobes (Δ mucus plug score) was

SUBMITTER: Tanabe N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12509975 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature