| Popis: |
As for the diagnosis, the function or even the therapy, the asthmatic’s airways are often considered as a whole: It is a bronchial obstruction which is to be determined, induced or treated. It is implicitly making the assumption: that asthma is a disease affecting the entire airways uniformly, either in a critical, intercritical or in a complicated stage; and that therapies have the same effects on every bronchial level. For many years, this unique aspect of the asthmatic disease has been in opposition to various clinical, radiological, functional, therapeutic studies. Unfortunately, these studies are complex, their interpretation difficult and the site of bronchial obstruction cannot yet be localized precisely. Indeed we can only say that the obstruction probably occurs in the central or in the peripheral airways, knowing that the inner diameter of the peripheral airways is less than 2 mm (i.e., starting in the segmental bronchi). |
