[Comparative studies on the firmness of the tracheal wall in goiter and chronic bronchitis]

The changes of the lumen of the trachea according to the tests of Valsalva and Müller in 231 test persons (71 normal persons, 129 struma patients and 31 patients with chronic bronchitis caused by an emphysema) are analyzed in radiologic way. The comparison of the average of the tracheal widths shows significant decreases in the struma patients in relation to the normal collective. On the contrary the tracheal diameters in chronic bronchitis caused by an emphysema shows no statistically evident deviations in comparison with the normal persons. According to calculations of the lumen changes (Valsalva minus Müller) the average in the normal collective is 2.1 mm, in the struma patients 3.4 mm an in chronic bronchitis caused by an emphysema 1.6 mm. The comparison of the statistical average after calculation of these differences results in significant differences only between normal collective and struma patients, too.