Airway Clearance

Abstract

Not only visualization but also quantification of the mucociliary clearance mechanisms in the lungs in vivo have become possible by means of “radioaerosol inhalation lung cinescintigraphy”. Developmental processes of this new research and clinical tool to evaluate the mucociliary clearance mechanisms were described and how the mechanisms are operating in health and disease states such as chronic obstructive airways disease, bronchogenic carcinoma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary vascular diseases, immotile cilia syndrome and so on was briefly presented. Furthermore, a simplified revision of our original method was introduced in which only the initial measurement of radioactivity for 60min and FEV_1.0% were required, whereas in our original method, a continuous measurement of radioactivity initially for 120min and a repeat measurement at 24 hours were mandatory.