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Emphysema in young adult survivors of moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia

¹ Advanced Lung Disease Program, Depts of ³ Diagnostic Imaging, ⁵ Respiratory Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, ² Lung Institute of Western Australia, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, ⁴ Neonatal Critical Care Unit, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, WA, ⁶ Thoracic Dept, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, ⁹ Both authors contributed equally to this article.

CORRESPONDENCE: D. C. Chambers, Thoracic Dept, Level 2 Administration Building, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland 4032, Australia. Fax: 61 731394510. E-mail: Daniel_Chambers{at}health.qld.gov.au

Keywords: Adult, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, computed tomography, emphysema, lung function, preterm birth

Received: September 26, 2007
Accepted March 18, 2008

Improved survival following extreme preterm birth complicated by bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is resulting in an increasing number of affected infants surviving to adulthood. The aim of the present pilot study was to describe the functional and structural pulmonary sequelae of moderate and severe BPD in a population of adult survivors.

All babies were cared for at one institution (King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, Australia). Subjects born between 1980 and 1987 with birthweight <1,500 g and requiring supplementary oxygen at 36 weeks post-menstrual age were identified from a complete neonatal database and recruited prospectively. Local physicians were concurrently asked to refer suitable patients. Demographics, respiratory symptoms and examination results, pulmonary function tests and computed tomography images were acquired.

In total, 21 subjects were studied. Of these, 12 were female, the median (range) age was 19 (17–33) yrs and 15 (71%) had persistent respiratory symptoms. The median (range) forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) z-score was -0.77 (-8.20–1.37), the forced expiratory flow at 25–75% of forced vital capacity was -1.81 (-6.00–0.75) and the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was -5.04 (-13.17– -1.24). Computed tomography was carried out on 19 subjects and all had abnormal findings, with emphysema being the most common, present in 84% of subjects. The extent of radiological emphysema was inversely related to the FEV₁ z-score.

Young adult survivors of moderate and severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia may be left with residual functional and characteristic structural pulmonary abnormalities, most notably emphysema.