AEROSOL DERIVED AIRWAY MORPHOMETRY IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

Monodisperse aerosol particles can be used to non-invasively probe int rapulmonary airspace dimensions, In this study, the aerosol-derived ai rway morphometry technique was used to study airspace dimensions in 79 healthy subjects, in order to assess reference data for the future cl inical application of aerosol-derived airway morphometry, and to inves tigate the effect of lung inflation, anthropometric, and lung function parameters on aerosol-derived airway morphometry, Intrapulmonary airs pace dimensions were assessed by measuring the deposition of monodispe rse, hydrophobic submicron aerosol particles during breathholding. Add itionally, measurements of spirometric and body plethysmographic lung function were performed, Airspace dimensions were in good agreement wi th morphometric lung data, Airspace dimensions increased with increasi ng lung inflation. Interindividual variation of airspace dimensions wa s lowest in the lung periphery, at high levels of lung inflation, and when the volumetric lung depth was normalized to the end-inspiratory l ung volume, Analysis of variance showed an increase of airspace dimens ions with age, The results of this study indicate that aerosol-derived airway morphometry is dependent on the level of lung inflation and th e age of the subject, These results suggest that in contrast to conven tional lung function techniques, aerosol-derived airway morphometry mi ght be a powerful tool for the detection of small changes in periphera l airway geometry.