Status asthmaticus: Note the overinflated lungs secondary to airway obstruction.
Bronchial asthma: overinflation of the lungsThis specimen shows a cross section of a lung from an asthmatic with obstruction of major airways (bronchi). The lung is collapsed, due to absorption of air trapped by obstruction of airways (bronchi and bronchioles). The large and medium-sized bronchioles are thick-walled and they are filled with greyish-white, jelly-like mucus plugs. It is these plugs, rather than spasm of airway muscle, that have caused the partial collapse of the lung, low arterial oxygen and high carbon dioxide.
Bronchial asthma
This cast of the bronchial tree is formed of inspissated mucus and was coughed up by a patient during an asthmatic attack. The outpouring of mucus from hypertrophied bronchial submucosal glands, the bronchoconstriction, and dehydration all contribute to the formation of mucus plugs that can block airways in asthmatic patients.Bronchial asthma
Bronchial asthmaAsthma is characterized by reversible airways obstruction in small airways. The latter is due to a combination of bronchospasm and mucus plugging. Note mucus plugging of the lumen, smooth muscle cell prominence (arrow), and the intense inflammatory cell infiltration.
Lt. Between the bronchial cartilage below and the bronchial lumen filled with mucus at the top is a submucosa widened by smooth muscle hypertrophy (arrow), edema, and inflammation (mainly eosinophils). Rt. At high magnification, the numerous eosinophils are prominent from their bright red cytoplasmic granules.