COMPARATIVE STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, NON-U.S. GOV'T
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

A prospective feasibility study of bronchial thermoplasty in the human airway.

Chest 2005 June
BACKGROUND: Bronchial thermoplasty is a novel procedure being developed as a potential treatment for asthma. Experience with animal studies has enabled development of appropriate reliable equipment, definition of therapeutic parameters, and descriptions of tissue effects of treatment.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to assess the feasibility and general safety of the application of bronchial thermoplasty in the human airway, and to determine if the reduction in airway smooth muscle seen in animal studies could be replicated.

DESIGN: A prospective study.

SETTING: Academic thoracic surgery center.

PARTICIPANTS: Nine patients scheduled to undergo lung resection for suspected or proven lung cancer.

INTERVENTIONS: Bronchial thermoplasty was performed during routine preoperative bronchoscopy up to 3 weeks prior to prescheduled lung resection. Treatment was limited to areas of the segmental bronchi within the lobe that was to be removed. Treated airways were inspected via bronchoscopy at the time of thoracotomy, and were examined histologically following surgical resection.

RESULTS: There were no adverse clinical effects of the procedure, including no new symptoms and no unscheduled visits for medical care. Treated sites exhibited slight redness and edema of the mucosa within 2 weeks of treatment, and appeared normal at later time points. There was narrowing (visually estimated at 25 to 50%) in four airways in two subjects examined at 5 days and 13 days after treatment, with excess mucus in two of these airways. There was no bronchoscopic evidence of scarring in any of the airways examined. Histologic examination showed a reduction in airway smooth muscle, and the extent of the treatment effect was confined to the airway wall and the immediate peribronchial region.

CONCLUSION: Application of bronchial thermoplasty to the human airway appears to be well tolerated. Treatment resulted in significant reduction of smooth muscle mass in the airways. Bronchial thermoplasty may provide therapeutic benefit in disease states such as asthma.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app