Pulmonary Emphysema

Pulmonary emphysema, long subsumed under the umbrella term “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” or its acronym COPD, has a long and elaborate history, originating from its description at the dawn of modern medicine. This textbook combines the old with the new—the historical developments in pulmonary emphysema are retraced from its earliest depiction to the contemporary revisions of the definition, nomenclature, and taxonomy (classification) of COPD, as advocated by the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Strategy for Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of COPD. Additionally, the following topics of interest are included to ensure that this textbook remains au courant: the role of macrophages in pulmonary emphysema, respiratory electromyography, bronchoscopy, evaluation of lung deposition of air pollution and drug delivery, and lung transplantation for advanced lung disease. The reader with a keen interest in pursuing hot topics in respiratory medicine will benefit from this concise and disparate anthology on pulmonary emphysema.