Additional opportunities to optimize differential diagnostics of asthma and COPD
During the course of ventilation lung scintigraphy, regional values of the alveolar-capillary permeability (ACP) were studied in 50 patients with the verified diagnosis of asthma (moderate severity, persistent, disease length - 1,5-2 years since the emergence of the first signs) and stage I-II chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as 30 healthy volunteers who composed control groups. Regardless of the bronchial resistance, asthma was characterized with a generalized increase in ACP, and COPD - with a bilateral decrease in ACP as compared to similar indicators in the representatives of control groups. The findings obtained can be used as additional diagnostic criteria for differential diagnostics of asthma and COPD.