[Morphology of changes in bronchial vessels in chronic inflammatory diseases of the lungs and their role in the development of pulmonary hypertension].

Histologic and morphometric examination comprised surgical and autopsy material of 20 patients with bronchiectatic disease and 14 patients with chronic bronchitis, respectively. The control group consisted of 14 autopsy follow-ups of the lungs of subjects who had neither pulmonary diseases nor heart defects. Structural reorganization of the lungs in both diseases was characterized by enlargement of the middle and inner coats of arteries, hyperplasia of their inner elastic membrane and hypertrophy of the middle coat of veins. Changes mainly developed on the level of the subsegmental bronchi and bronchiectases. A direct correlation was seen between the degree of hypertrophy of the walls of bronchial vessels and those of the pulmonary artery. Participation of bronchopulmonary shunting in the development of lung hypertension is discussed.