Characterization of lung's emphysema distribution: Numerical assessment of disease development

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it increasingly difficult for you to breathe. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two main conditions that make up COPD, but COPD can also refer to damage caused by chronic asthmatic bronchitis. Pulmonary emphysema is defined as a lung disease characterized by “abnormal enlargement of the air spaces distal to the terminal, non-respiratory bronchiole, accompanied by destructive changes of the alveolar walls”. These lung parenchymal changes are pathognomonic for emphysema. Chronic bronchitis is a form of bronchitis characterized by excess production of sputum leading to a chronic cough and obstruction of air flow. In all cases, damage to your airways eventually interferes with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your lungs. Habitual techniques of emphysema's diagnosis are based on indirect features, such as clinical examination; Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) and subjective visual evaluation of CT scans. These tests are of limited value in assessing mild to moderate emphysema.