The relationship of chronic bronchitis to the diffuse obstructive pulmonary syndrome.

The subjects of 75 consecutive autopsies were examined for evidence of chronic bronchitis. In multiple bronchial sections, estimates were made of the bronchial gland/wall ratio, intramural vascularization, intramural scar, and round cell infiltration. Abnormalities in these parameters were found more frequently in patients who had cough, and an increased bronchial gland/wall ratio was found more often in those who had had sputum as well. The ratio of the diameter of the lumen to the external diameter of small noncartilagenous bronchi did not correlate with clinical bronchitis. The ability to predict the degree of chronic bronchitis from expiratory flow was very poor. There was no relationship between measurements of bronchitis and lung volumes. Similarly, blood gas values obtained during the few months before death did not reflect the presence of chronic bronchitis. Shortness of breath and smoking were unrelated to the anatomic measurements. The obstructive mechanism in irreversible obstructive pulmonary ...