PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 1106744

Bronchial hyperreactivity.

M K Benson
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Bronchial hyperreactivity is characterized by increased responsiveness of bronchial smooth muscle to non-specific constrictor stimuli. Tests used in assessing airway calibre are influenced by a number of factors and should be regarded as providing a qualitative rather than quantitative index of reactivity. One important determinant of bronchial reactivity is the resting state of the airways. An increase in resting bronchomotor tone either by the direct action of spasmogens or by the autonomic nervous system may potentiate a subsequent constrictor stimulus. Bronchial challenge may help in the diagnosis of asthma in patients with normal lung function at the time of testing.

Explore related subjects

Airway ObstructionAirway ResistanceAsthmaBradykininBronchiBronchodilator AgentsConstrictionForced Expiratory VolumeHistamineHumansMuscle, SmoothProstaglandins EProstaglandins FSRS-AStimulation, ChemicalJournal ArticleReview

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

M K Benson. 1975. Bronchial hyperreactivity.. https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-0971(75)90090-x

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2008

Thyroid involvement with Langerhans cell histiocytosis in a 3-year-old male.

We report on the thyroid involvement with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in a 3-year-old male. The patient presented with goiter and primary hypothyroidism. His goiter caused life-threatening airway obstruction. He developed locally invasive disease 4 years after his response to LCH therapy. LCH should be suspected as a cause of goiter and thyroidectomy is recommended.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed2007

Potential mechanisms connecting asthma, esophageal reflux, and obesity/sleep apnea complex--a hypothetical review.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and asthma are potentially linked at several levels. The pathophysiology of these two conditions seems to overlap significantly, as airway obstruction, inflammation, obesity, and several other factors are implicated in the development of both diseases. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cardiovascular complications, obesity itself, and the underlying inflammatory processes are all complex contributory factors that provide hypothetical links. Furthermore, a collateral rise in prevalence of both OSA and asthma has been noticed during the past few years, occurring in association with the emerging epidemic of obesity, a common risk factor for both conditions. OSA and asthma share many other risk factors as well. We propose a hypothetical OSA-asthma relationship that has implications on the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with either condition singly. Clinicians should be aware that OSA might complicate asthma management. Based on this hypothesis, we suggest that the treatment of the individual patient who experiences both asthma and OSA needs to be multidisciplinary and comprehensive. This hypothetical association of asthma and OSA, though described anecdotally, has not been systematically studied. In particular, the influence of continuous positive airway pressure therapy (for sleep apnea) on asthma outcomes (such as quality of life, steroid utilization, emergency room visits) and fatality needs to be studied further.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed2007

Managing isolated subglottic juvenile xanthogranuloma without tracheostomy: case report and review of literature.

Juvenile Xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a dendritic cell related histiocytic disorder which usually presents in the first year of life as a solitary cutaneous granuloma. Isolated presentation in the upper airway is very rare but can result in severe respiratory distress, especially in young children. We present the case of a 5-month-old male with an isolated subglottic JXG lesion. Endoscopic excision provided symptomatic relief and avoided the need for tracheostomy. The lesion has completely resolved 17 months later. Surgical excision without tracheostomy was the treatment of choice in two of the four additional cases of upper airway JXG presented in the literature. JXG has an excellent prognosis with spontaneous regression over time. Histology alone is frequently inadequate to differentiate JXG from the more common Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), which carries a much less favorable prognosis. The evolving field of immunohistochemistry provides an essential tool to establish the correct diagnosis. The typical phenotype of JXG is Factor XIIIa+/Fascin+/CD68+/CD163+/CD14+/CD1a-/S100-.

Airway Obstruction↗