Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Conducting Respiratory Oscillometry in an Outpatient Setting
Published on: April 8, 2022
The small airways and distal lung compartment in asthma and COPD: a time for reappraisal
M Contoli1, J Bousquet, L M Fabbri
1Research Centre on Asthma and COPD, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy.
Abstract:
The involvement of small airways in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been debated for a long time. However, a proper definition of small airway disease is still lacking, and neither a widely accepted biomarker nor a functional parameter to assess small airway abnormalities and to explore the effect of tested compounds on small airways is available. Aiming towards increased knowledge and consensus on this topic, this perspective paper intends to (i) strengthen awareness among the scientific community on the role of small airways in asthma and COPD; (ii) examine the pros and cons of some biological, functional and imaging parameters in the assessment of small airway abnormalities; and (iii) discuss the evidence for distal airway pharmacological targeting in asthma and COPD.
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease II: Emphysema
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
Asthma I: Introduction
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
Asthma III: Clinical Manifestations
