Clinical presentations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease covers a wide range of lung problems that have as their base the partial blockage of the smooth movement of air from the lungs during expiration. Asthma, simple bronchitis, chronic obstructive bronchitis, and emphysema are the diseases usually considered as chronic obstructive disease. Many of their multiple presentations are quite common in clinical medicine but are sometimes difficult to recognize. Once the inciting event is identified, it is often reversible.