[The effects of corticotherapy by inhalation on the pulmonary functional parameters in bronchial asthma patients]

The study followed the effect of long term high doses of inhalational corticotherapy (ICT) in bronchial asthma patients. The studied group included 31 adults with confirmed bronchial asthma, 21 corticoid-dependent cases, which were submitted to ICT with 1000 mg beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) given daily during one year. The evolution was monitored by clinical and functional controls at 2-4 weeks (clinically: presence and severity of the symptoms: dyspnoea, cough, bronchial secretion by a score system; functionally: spirography, MEVS, body plethysmography-RV, SGaw, flux-volume curves, MEF50). The results evidenced improving of lung ventilation parameters in the majority of subjects (87.0%) up to normal figures excepted MEF50 (RV-70%, MEVS-60.0%, SGaw-60.0%). The good clinical and functional evolution is noted after the first month of treatment (statistically significant in comparison with the initial (values which is maintained during the whole year. The oral corticotherapy was suppressed in 52.4% of cases; no adverse systemic reactions were noted, only a few local ones (oral candidosis-9.7%, hoarseness-6.4%). The persistence of subnormal values of MEF50 at the end of ICT period reveals an obstructive distal process, most probably of inflammatory nature which could be an argument for the continuation of the treatment behind one year of ICT.