Effect of Bronchial Thermoplasty on Air Trapping Assessed by Xenon Ventilation Computed Tomography.

ABSTRACT: Objective Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a bronchoscopic procedure for patients with severe asthma. Although it has been suggested that BT works by reducing airway smooth muscle, the detailed mechanism underlying its effects is still unknown. Methods We performed xenon ventilation computed tomography (Xe-CT) before each BT procedure and six weeks after the third treatment to assess the improvement in lung ventilation at each separate lung region. The air trapping index in each lobe was defined as the mean trapping value (0: none, 1: mild, 2: moderate, and 3: severe) of the included segments. Patients and Materials Four patients were included. Results Asthma symptoms were improved after BT. The comparison of the scores at baseline with those after the third treatment showed that the air tra

SUBMITTER: Dokuni R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8313928 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature