Differences in airway structural changes assessed by three-dimensional computed tomography in asthma and asthma-COPD overlap

Background: Asthma- COPD overlap (ACO) is a clinical phenotype sharing features of asthma and COPD. Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) can be used to evaluate the airway structure; however, differences between asthma and ACO seen on MDCT are poorly understood.Objective: To investigate the difference in airway structural between asthma and ACO using MDCT in patients with clinical asthma.Methods:Sixty-four patients with asthma were allocated to an asthma group (neversmokers and ex-smokers with a smoking history of <10 pack-years) or an ACO group (patients with a ≥10-pack-year smoking history and FEV1/ FVC <0.7).

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