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Large and small airway-wall and lumen abnormalities and occlusion are hallmark findings in asthma, but pathologic abnormalities have also been reported in the pulmonary vasculature. 129Xe MR-spectroscopy provides a way to quantify 129Xe gas in the airways and as it diffuses through the alveolar tissue-membrane and binds to red-blood-cells in the pulmonary capillaries. Static and dynamic 129Xe MR-spectroscopy were undertaken in participants with poorly controlled asthma in whom there was significantly different 129Xe MR RBC:membrane ratio compared to healthy-volunteers. Cardiopulmonary oscillations were observed in all 129Xe compartments; the oscillation amplitude in the gas-compartment was related to oscillometry airways impedance measurements.
Matheson et al. (Wed,) studied this question.