Pathophysiology of Emphysema and its Relationship to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Concepts of Cardiovascular And Respiratory Disorders
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Concepts of Cardiovascular And Respiratory Disorders
Emphysema is a medical condition that falls under COPD, but they have different clinical manifestations. It is a lung condition that instigates shortness of breath in affected individuals. Emphysema's pathophysiology pegs on its clinical symptoms resulting in airways distal damage to terminal bronchioles, comprising alveolar sacs, alveoli, respiratory bronchiole, and alveolar ducts collectively forming acinus. As it progresses, the air sacs` small inner walls weaken and break, resulting in larger airspaces, thus reducing the lungs` surface area. In the long run, the oxygen quantity circulating in the bloodstream due to the abnormal permanent airspaces dilation. Therefore, the acinus part affected determines the Emphysema subtype. It can be pathologically grouped into panacinar, paraseptal, and centrilobular.
Emphysema is developed through a protracted chronic exposure to toxic smoke, consequently recruiting inflammatory cells like neutrophils, macrophages, and T lymphocytes, primary Emphysema's causative agents. The condition's development begins with activating macrophages to release neutrophil chemotactic elements interleukin-8 and leukotriene B. After the neutrophils' recruitment, t...