Pulmonary Emphysema and 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency

Abstract

Of 72 patients with radiological evidence of pulmonary emphysema, emphysema occurred either alone or in association with bronchitis in 61, and 8 of these (13%) were found to have α₁-antitrypsin deficiency. The main features of this condition are: exertional dyspnoea of relatively early onset (generally between 30 and 45 years of age), severely impaired FEV₁ and T_LCO, and radiological emphysema predominantly affecting the lower zones of the lungs. It is probable that any patient with all the above abnormalities has α₁-antitrypsin deficiency. There is evidence to suggest that cigarette smoking may hasten the onset of this type of emphysema.