[Regional distribution of ventilation and perfusion in the beginning chronic bronchopneumopathies]

The regional distribution of lung ventilation and perfusion was determined in five normal subjects and in patients suffering from chronic bronchitis or asthma with variable functional repercussion, and also in some cases of beginning lung emphysema. The system of detection under use is a scanning camera coupled with a computer. In the case of chronic bronchitis or of asthma, there exists, the more often, a redistribution of lung ventilation and perfusion from the bases towards the vertices. The alterations are less evident in the cases of emphysema submitted to study. The limits of the method are object of discussion. Its application to the early detection of bronchopneumopathies does not appear as possible.