Inflation of the lung has enabled the assessment of tissue architecture in chronic lung diseases using standard histological techniques, and more recently using volumetric micro-computed tomography (micro CT) imaging of frozen (1) and FFPE samples (2).
Bottom: Transaxial micro CT image at 11micrometer isotropic voxel size shows conducting airways (¥), respiratory bronchioles (#), and blood vessels (*) void of blood. Scale bar is 1mm.
This has enabled the detailed assessment of small airways and parenchymal structures in diseases such as COPD and IPF (3-4).
1. Vasilescu DM, Phillion AB, Tanabe N, Kinose D, Paige DF, Kantrowitz JJ, Liu G, Liu H, Fishbane N, Verleden SE, Vanaudenaerde BM, Lenburg M, Stevenson CS, Spira A, Cooper JD, Hackett TL, Hogg JC. Nondestructive cryomicro-CT imaging enables structural and molecular analysis of human lung tissue. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2017; 122: 161-169.
2. Koo HK, Vasilescu DM, Booth S, Hsieh A, Katsamenis OL, Fishbane N, Elliott WM, Kirby M, Lackie P, Sinclair I, Warner JA, Cooper JD, Coxson HO, Pare PD, Hogg JC, Hackett TL. Small airways disease in mild and moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study. Lancet Respir Med 2018; 6: 591-602.
3. McDonough JE, Yuan R, Suzuki M, Seyednejad N, Elliott WM, Sanchez PG, Wright AC, Gefter WB, Litzky L, Coxson HO, Pare PD, Sin DD, Pierce RA, Woods JC, McWilliams AM, Mayo JR, Lam SC, Cooper JD, Hogg JC. Small-Airway Obstruction and Emphysema in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The New England journal of medicine 2011; 365: 1567-1575.
4. Verleden SE, Tanabe N, McDonough JE, Vasilescu DM, Xu F, Wuyts WA, Piloni D, De Sadeleer L, Willems S, Mai C, Hostens J, Cooper JD, Verbeken EK, Verschakelen J, Galban CJ, Van Raemdonck DE, Colby TV, Decramer M, Verleden GM, Kaminski N, Hackett TL, Vanaudenaerde BM, Hogg JC. Small airways pathology in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Respir Med 2020; 8: 573-584.