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Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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
    • pneumoconioses

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