ASTHMA

ASTHMA is a chronic illness that causes widespread narrowing of the tracheobronchial tree. The disease is characterized by acute exacerbations of varying degrees of severity that resolve spontaneously or with therapy. In unusual circumstances acute episodes can be fatal. Recently, it has become fashionable to characterize asthma in terms of the features that purportedly have a role in its pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness have been included in the definition.1 Although these components are present, they are not unique to this illness and are found alone or together in other forms of airway disease, such as… © 1992, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.