[Relationships between emphysema, bronchiolar lesions, and pulmonary function tests in mild centrilobular emphysema of the human lungs].

The relationships between emphysema, bronchiolar lesions, and pulmonary function tests were studied in very mild centrilobular emphysematous lungs. The severity of emphysema was significantly related to VC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, the slope of phase III, CC/TLC and static elastic lung recoil. Emphysema was not correlated with DLco. Bronchiolar lesions were poorly correlated with pulmonary function tests. Emphysema was related to bronchiolar lesions, such as smooth muscle hypertrophy and goblet cell metaplasia. These findings suggest that alterations of the mechanical property of the lung occur in very mild centrilobular emphysema. Measurements of these abnormalities may be useful to detect early emphysema.