He bronchial tree Is the branching of elements that originates in the trachea, between the pulmonary alveoli and the larynx, and through which air circulates during respiration.
This"tree"consists of the trachea, two main bronchi, the secondary or lobular bronchi and several tertiary or segmental bronchi that are smaller.
From the main bronchi it can be said that the right branches into three secondary bronchi, one for each lobe of the right lung, while the left, smaller and longer, divides into the bronchi that pass through the lower and upper lobes of the lung left. The left bronchus is usually more susceptible to obstruction.
The windpipe , Then, would become the trunk of that tree of branches that carries air into the lungs, while the bronchioles are the smallest branches.
Along this respiratory tree, there are mucous glands that may occasionally be found in the wall of the bronchi or bronchioles .
And the walls of all these routes have a smooth muscle that regulates the amount of air that goes to the lungs.
The segmental bronchi or terminal bronchioles are divided 23 times, on average, and the first 16, serve as space for transporting the gas to and from the outside.
In the following divisions (17, 18 and 19) the alveoli appear and the last 2 or 3 divisions are aligned with the alveoli, thus forming the proper respiratory area of the bronchial tree.
In fact, that final division is called the respiratory bronchiole and also branches in several alveolar ducts to fulfill that function.
Bronchial tree function
This complex anatomical structure is the one that allows the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the human organism, as well as the exchange of gases between the air in the lungs and the blood in the capillaries.
The latter is produced specifically by the walls of the alveolar ducts and the alveoli.
Bronchial walls may also have bronchiole exocrine cells (also called club cells) whose function has not been determined with certainty by science although it is believed that they may have some specialized synthetic and secretory function.
Diseases related to the bronchial tree
Some of the diseases that are related to any of the parts of the bronchial tree are:
Asthma
He asthma Is a disease caused by obstruction of the bronchi. Its external manifestation includes wheezing, shortness of breath or chest pain when breathing.
It is an incurable disease that affects around 300 million people in the world.
Treatment with bronchodilators to keep the airways open and inhaled corticosteroids to reduce inflammation is usually indicated to control their symptoms.
Bronchitis
It is a pathology caused by inflammation of the bronchial airways due, usually to an infection or allergies, although other causes should be ruled out.
When this inflammation occurs, the next thing is that the lining of the bronchi is filled with secretions so the treatment may include antibiotics and vaporizers.
Bronchospasm
It occurs by contraction of the smooth muscles of the bronchi and bronchioles. It manifests with a severe cough and wheezing, and may be the consequence of injury or irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Such lesions may be due to an infection or an allergy. The treatment of bronchospasm is similar to that of asthma because it tries to free up space in the air circulation ways to the lungs.
Bronchiectasis
This disease consists of irreversible dilation of the bronchial tree as a consequence of serious or recurrent infections in the respiratory tract.
It manifests with a chronic cough and sometimes there may be expectoration, coughing blood and chest pain. Antibiotics and expectorants appear in the treatment.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
It is a disease characterized by obstruction of air passage through the airways due to inflation in the lungs and bronchi. It manifests with cough and fatigue with difficulty breathing.
It is usually experienced by active or passive smokers and also occurs as a consequence of chronic diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma or bronchiectasis.
One type of COPD is emphysema, which is caused by damage to the alveoli by decreasing the amount of oxygen that goes into the blood. It can cause coughing and shortness of breath.
Emphysema can be treated with inhalers, medicines and, sometimes, surgery is performed to avoid complications.
Medical diagnostic procedures
To diagnose the state of the parts that make up the bronchial tree there are some procedures to know:
Bronchoscopy
It is a procedure that allows visualizing the bronchial tree up to the level of the segmental bronchi.
It is routinely performed to obtain samples of fluid or tissue from that area through a bronchoalveolar lavage, brushing and / or transbronchial biopsy.
After the microbiological and histopathological analysis of these samples, it is possible to diagnose with greater precision and certainty some pulmonary pathology.
Spirometry
It is the test that can measure the amount and rate of airflow during breathing to determine if there is any obstruction in the bronchi.
This test measures the amount of air that is expelled in the first second, which must be 100% to be considered normal or correct.
Ideally, this test should be repeated minutes later, after administering a bronchodilator to determine the difference in values and verify the relevance of a treatment with this type of drug.
It is performed with a spirometer, which is an instrument to measure the capacity and volume of the lungs.
Chest x-ray
It allows visualizing a good part of the respiratory system to rule out infections, aspiration of foreign bodies and / or bronchial malformations.
Prick test
It consists of the injection, in the forearm, of certain allergens to measure the reaction in the skin of the person.
Although it is intended to determine whether the person is allergic and which substances are allergic, it is a routine procedure for people with asthma.
References
- Emphysema (s / f). Bronchi Recovered from emphysema.net.
- Harrison, R.J. (1955). Anatomy of the Bronchial Tree. Journal of Anatomy, 89 (Pt 2), 268. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- King, David (2016). Anatomy. Retrieved from siumed.edu.
- Medical dictionary. Bronchial tree. Retrieved from: medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com.
- Niven, Alexander and others (s / f). Disorders of the lung and respiratory tract. Retrieved from msdmanuals.com.