Table 1 Techniques available for the assessment of small airways disease in comparison to large airway
From: Small airway dysfunction and bronchial asthma control : the state of the art
| Method | Small airway function | Large airway function |
|---|---|---|
| Spirometry | FEF25–75 %, FVC, FVC/SVC | FEV1, FEV1/FVC |
| Impulse oscillometry (IOS) | R5–R20, X5, AX, Fres | R20 |
| Single Breath Nitrogen Washout (SBNW) or Multiple Breath Nitrogen Washout (MBNW) test | Slope phase III, CV, CC, Sacin, Scond | |
| Body plethysmography | RV, RV/TLC | |
| High Resolution Computerized Tomography (HRCT)Nuclear medicine (Scintigrapy,SPECT,PET)3He-MRI | Air trapping, airway wall thicknessRegional ventilation defectsNonventilated lung volume | Airway wall thickness |
| Bronchoscopy | Transbronchial biopsy, BAL | Endobronchial biopsy |
| Sputum induction | Late phase sputum | Early phase sputum |
| Exhaled nitrix oxide (eNO) | Alveolar eNO | Bronchial eNO |
| CT & computational fluid dynamics | Changes in airway volume and resistence |