Differences in radiological/HRCT findings in eosinophilic bronchitis compared to asthma: implication for bronchial responsiveness

Sung-Woo Park ¹, Jai-Soung Park ¹, Young-Mok Lee ¹, June-Hyuk Lee ¹, An-Soo Jang ¹, Do-Jin Kim ¹, Young Hwangbo ¹, Soo-taek Uh ¹, Yong-Hoon Kim ¹ and Choon-Sik Park ^1*

¹ Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Korea, Republic of

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mdcspark{at}unitel.co.kr.

Accepted 11 October 2005

Abstract

Background: AHR in asthmatics is considered to be one of the major consequences of airway inflammation and remodelling. Airway responsiveness is normal in patients with eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), despite eosinophilic inflammation of the airways comparable to that which occurs in asthmatics. Comparisons between asthma and EB should clarify the changes in airway morphology that are related specifically to AHR in asthmatics.

Methods: Eighteen asthmatics, 15 patients with EB, and 11 healthy subjects were recruited. We compared airway wall area percentage, centrilobular prominence, and air trapping in patients with EB, mild persistent asthmatics, and normal controls using thin-slice section computed tomography.

Results: Airway wall area percentage (WA%) was significantly greater in asthmatics than in EB patients (72 ±3.1% vs. 54 ± 2.1%, p=0.032) and was similar in EB patients and controls (54 ± 2.1% vs. 57 ± 1.8%, p> 0.05). Centrilobular prominence and air trapping were similar in EB patients and asthmatics and were significantly greater than in controls.

Conclusion: Airway wall area percentage rather than air trapping or centrilobular prominence may be associated with the AHR that occurs in asthmatics but not in patients with EB.

Keywords: airway hyperresponsiveness., asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis, high-resolution computed tomography

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