Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma, has become the fourth-leading cause of death – one of the only major chronic diseases that has seen an ...

The lungs consist of tiny air sacs called alveoli. Emphysema damages the alveoli and destroys lung tissue. Bullous emphysema (BE) refers to damaged alveoli that distend to form large air spaces, ...

A CT scan of healthy lungs looks typical in size with no inflammation, allowing the diaphragm to dome. Lungs with emphysema can look overinflated, with muscle loss, making the diaphragm misshapen. The ...