Abstract
Summary: Morphometric analysis of the lungs and heart of a male infant who died at 33 months of age of bronchopulmonary dysplasia after prematurity and respiratory distress syndrome and its treatment is presented. Alveolar internal surface area was 8.4 m2 compared to 15.3–27.8 for age-matched controls. The number of alveoli was 19 X 106 (123.3–172.5 X 106 for controls); however, the mean small airway diameter, 0.44 mm was normal, and small airway abnormalities were minimal. There was marked muscular hypertrophy of the right ventricle.
Speculation: Severe neonatal lung injury, with persistent oxygen dependency throughout infancy might result in inhibition or marked slowing of lung growth. Because development of conducting airways is completed early during intrauterine life and because most alveolar development takes place postnatally, one might expect disturbances in alveolar growth to overshadow residual airway injury in survivors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sobonya, R., Logvinoff, M., Taussig, L. et al. Morphometric Analysis of the Lung in Prolonged Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Pediatr Res 16, 969–972 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198211000-00014
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198211000-00014
This article is cited by
-
DEHP effects on histology and cell proliferation in lung of newborn rats
Histochemistry and Cell Biology (2009)
-
Inflammatory Mediators in the Immunobiology of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology (2008)
-
The postnatal age of rat lung fibroblasts influences G1/S phase transition in vitro
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal (1999)
-
Plasma endothelin-1 like immunoreactivity levels in neonates
European Journal of Pediatrics (1992)
-
Potentially of early chest roentgen examination in ventilator treated newborn infants to predict future lung function and disease
Pediatric Radiology (1989)