Aetiology
Localised areas of emphysema may be caused by:
- congenital disorders
- compensatory changes:
- lung collapse
- scarring
- resection
- partial bronchial occlusion:
- foreign body
- peribronchial lymphadenopathy
- neoplasm
- in rare cases a unilateral emphysema may occur due to bronchiolitis before the age of 8 years
- smoking
Generalised:
- idiopathic / primary
- physiological (senile emphysema)
- familial:
- alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency
- lower lobes more severely affected
- associated with:
- chronic bronchitis
- chronic asthma
- pneumoconiosis
Reference
- NICE. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline NG115. Published December 2018, last updated July 2019
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