aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
Localised areas of emphysema may be caused by:
- congenital disorders
- compensatory changes:
- lung collapse
- scarring
- resection
- partial bronchial occlusion:
- foreign body
- peribronchial lymphadenopathy
- neoplasm
- in rare cases a unilateral emphysema may occur due to bronchiolitis before the age of 8 years
- smoking
Generalised:
- idiopathic / primary
- physiological (senile emphysema)
- familial:
- alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency
- lower lobes more severely affected
- associated with:
- chronic bronchitis
- chronic asthma
- pneumoconioses
alpha -1 - antitrypsin deficiency