As a part of a continuing program of study of the morphology of lungs from emphysematous
and aging subjects, tissue samples containing the “smallest” non-respiratory bronchiole from
twelve emphysematous patients and twelve normal subjects were subjected to planimetry.
The mean cross sectional area of various structures in the two groups were statistically
compared. The most striking aspect of the study was a marked restriction of the mean area of
the lumens of non-respiratory bronchioles in pulmonary emphysema. Since there was no …