DR Medhat MRCP

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- COPD is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis &/or emphysema, a pair of commonly
co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways narrow over time.
- This limits airflow to and from the lungs, causing shortness of breath (dyspnea).
- In clinical practice, COPD is defined by its characteristically low airflow on lung
function tests.
- In contrast to asthma, this limitation is poorly reversible and usually gets
progressively worse over time.
Chronic bronchitis is defined in clinical terms as a cough with sputum production
on most days for 3 months of a year, for 2 consecutive years
Emphysema
- Is an enlargement of the air spaces(alveoli)(i.e ↑ lung compliance )distal to
the terminal bronchioles, with later destruction of their walls, lack of lung
surfactant & loss of elastic recoil of the lung →↓ surface area available for gas
exchange . These airways are more likely to collapse causing further limitation
to airflow.
Lung surfactant is a phospholipoprotein secreted by type II pneumocytes & it
plays a role in maintaining alveolar integrity, elastic recoil & lung compliance .
Chronic bronchitis (inflammation + mucous)
Emphysema (↑lung compliance & loss of elastic recoil)