Bronchostenosis

Bronchostenosis (from Greek bronchos - bronchus and stenos - narrow, tight), narrowing of the bronchial lumen. There are: 1. Narrowing due to external pressure on the bronchus. Such pressure can be caused by: aortic aneurysms, tumors of the esophagus, mediastinum and lung, large accumulation of fluid in the pericardium, significant increase in the volume of the heart (especially the left atrium), suppurative foci following tuberculosis of the spine, enlarged due to anthracosis or tuberculosis bronchial and bronchopulmonary lymphatic glands, especially in the presence of periadentitis leading to induration and contraction of the surrounding connective tissue, and finally scars due to various coarse-cirrhotic processes of the lungs, provided only the latter remain not fused with the parietal pleura and retain their mobility (otherwise bronchiectases develop). 2. Narrowings due to disease of the bronchial wall itself. Here, in terms of frequency, various inflammatory products - infectious granulomas, cheesy masses, mucus, pus, fibrinous films, etc. come first; next follow scars in syphilitic lesions of the bronchi or in the healing of perforation holes that arose due to the breakthrough into the bronchus of anthracotic or caseously transformed lymph glands fused with it; finally, tumors of the bronchi (carcinomas, adenomas, lipomas, sarcomas, etc.). In small bronchial branches (bronchioles), significant narrowing of the lumen occurs already with simple swelling of the mucous membrane due to catarrh, thanks to which widespread bronchiolitis, often observed in childhood, is always accompanied by severe dyspnea. 3. Narrowings due to the ingress of foreign bodies (bone splinters, pieces of meat, artificial teeth, fruit pits, sunflower seeds, peas, coins, buttons, nails, etc.). This type of B. is most often encountered in children. The consequences of B. depend on the underlying disease and on the degree of narrowing of the lumen. It should be noted that incomplete closure of the bronchial lumen can sometimes cause emphysema in the corresponding alveolar parenchyma (due to difficulty of expiration); sometimes, especially with significant narrowing of large trunks, due to slow and insufficient intake of air - development of partial atelectases (see). Complete closure of the lumen always leads to collapse of the corresponding group of alveoli. With prolonged existence of stenosis, in the peripheral parts of the narrowed bronchi, bronchiectases usually develop (see).

M. Skvortsov.