Inflection point on transpulmonary pressure-volume curves and closing volume

In 20 healthy subjects and 18 patients with bronchial obstruction, closing volume (CV) on single-breath nitrogen washout curves and inflection point (IP) on transpulmonary pressure-volume curves were recorded simultaneously during slow expiratory vital capacity maneuvers. IP and CV did not occur at identical lung volumes, IP being systematically larger than CV for small CV values. This discrepancy could not be attributed to an esophageal or mediastinal artifact. It is suggested that, though CV and IP both express "airway closure," their sensitivity to closure may differ: CV underestimates closure because of a dead space effect; the latter may vary individually. On the other hand, IP may not reflect the true beginning of closure, particularly when it occurs at higher lung volumes.