Bronchial asthma – status and sputum

The basis of this disease is an obstruction of the bronchi, which is due to the influence of environmental factors and is characterized by three main features:

• Contraction of the muscles of the bronchi, or bronchospasm;
• Swelling bronchial mucosa;
• Blockage of the lumen of the bronchi viscous mucus.

An important link in the occurrence of asthma is changed bronchial reactivity.

Allocate Two major forms of asthma - Infectious-allergic and non-allergic (atopic). The development of asthma may be preceded by the state predastmy, t. it is. the state of the threat of asthma. Predastmy condition may occur in bronchitis and pneumonia, occurring with symptoms of bronchospasm, eosinophilia in the blood and sputum. These patients may experience vasomotor rhinitis, angioedema, hives, headache, neurodermatitis.

One of the main clinical manifestations of asthma is choking. Especially difficult to exhale, which is accompanied by wheezing. Duration of attack different: from 30 minutes to several hours,, days or even weeks.

The prolonged attack of asthma resistant to treatment and a progressive bronchial obstruction and respiratory failure takes on the character of status asthmaticus.

Status of the bronchi and sputum in bronchial asthma

Pathomorphological with asthma revealed a blockage of the small bronchi viscous yellowish mucous plugs. Lungs are stretched, It has expressed to varying degrees complicating pneumonia. Microscopically detected a sharp increase in the number of goblet cells, bronchial glands, sloughing of the surface layers of the epithelium, thickening of the basement membrane and a variety of eosinophilic granulocytes in the walls of the bronchi, and in the mucus contained therein. The bronchioles marked changes were observed. The field may appear multilayer metaplasia and fibrosis of the bronchial walls. Muscle tissue is hypertrophied bronchial tubes drastically, Sometimes there may be areas with eosinophilic infiltrates. When bronchial biopsies revealed subepithelial eosinophilic infiltrates.

Grossly visible yellowish sputum plotnovata, part of friability pieces, which on microscopic examination revealed a large number of fibrin, partly decaying eosinophilic granulocytes, Charcot-Leyden crystals and spirals Kurshmana.

Epithelial cells of the bronchi are in the sputum in the form of clusters and layers, or may be able metaplazirovannymi steatosis. Sometimes there zhelezistopodobnye structure. Similar elements may be found in sputum and in allergic bronchitis, serum sickness, and respiratory diseases other etiology, proceeding with an allergic component, Therefore, for proper evaluation of the results of sputum must be observed clinic, especially the main syndrome of asthma - asthma attacks.