Small Airway Disease

In this presentation on "Small Airway Disease", Jeffrey Galvin from the University of Maryland discusses the unique characteristics of small airways, emphasizing their lack of cartilage and reliance on alveolar walls to stay open. These small airways, about 1 millimeter in size, are a silent zone in the lungs challenging to assess. Imaging plays a crucial role in detecting small airway diseases, with mosaic attenuation being a sensitive indirect sign of air trapping. The presentation covers various conditions associated with small airway injury, including asthma, sarcoidosis, connective tissue disease, and toxic inhalation. Histological diagnosis can be challenging due to subtle changes, and direct imaging of abnormal airways is essential for accurate identification. The talk concludes with the radiologist's advantage in visualizing individual airways, highlighting the importance of recognizing small airway diseases in clinical practice.