Bronchopulmonary dysplasia--pathology.

The term bronchopulmonary dysplasia has much to commend it. It does not declare the etiology of this disease, which seems to be an advantage. Another advantage is that it presents the idea of disturbance of growth as well as scarring. The premature lung responds at birth somewhat differently from the mature lung, not just in respect to surfactant but from the point of view of the blood vessels' size and compliance. But treatment must also be considered. The administration of steroids to the mother in the antenatal period probably favors maturation in the fetus, rather than growth of size and cell multiplication, which will also influence the behavior of the lung postnatally. This is probably a critical feature to look for in clinical assessment and follow-up of these patients.