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 | Â |
Body plethysmography | RV, RV/TLC | Â |
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 | Â |