Table 2.
Lung function patterns in cases of exposure-related bronchiolar disordersa
| Exposure | Histopathology | Spirometry | Diffusing capacity | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrous oxide | Proliferative bronchiolitis | Restriction (1/1) Obstruction (3/3) Obstruction (1/1) |
Low (1/1) Low (1/3) Low (1/1) |
9 10 11 |
| Diacetyl | Constrictive bronchiolitis | Obstruction (2/9) Restriction (1/9) Mixed (6/9) |
Low (2/7) | 23 |
| Fiberglass-reinforced plastics (possibly styrene) | Constrictive bronchiolitis | Obstruction (6/6) Obstruction (2/2) |
32 33 |
|
| Nylon flock | Lymphocytic bronchiolitis, peribronchiolitis | Obstruction (3/20) Restriction (10/20) Normal (2/5) Restriction (3/5) |
Low (13/19) Low (4/4) |
37 39 |
| Sulfur mustard | BOOP, constrictive bronchiolitis, other | Obstruction (1/1) Obstruction (1/1) Normal (13/15) Obstruction (1/15) Restriction (1/15) |
Normal (23/23) |
46 47 49 50 |
| World Trade Center dust/gases/fumes | Constrictive bronchiolitis; nondiagnostic bronchiolar abnormalities | Mixed (1/1) Normal (1/7) Restriction (5/7) Mixed (1/7) Restriction (5/8) Mixed (3/8) |
Low (1/1) Low (3/5) Low (8/8) |
51 52 53 |
| Sulfur mine fire, other combustion or dust | Constrictive bronchiolitis | Normal (32/38) Obstruction (2/38) Restriction (3/38) Mixed (1/38) |
Low (23/38) | 61 |
| Acramin FWN (textile dye) | BOOP | Normal (7/14) Restriction (5/14) Obstruction (2/14) |
Low (1/14) | 69 |
| Humidifier disinfectant | Constrictive bronchiolitis, BOOP, acute changes | Restriction (9/9) | Mean DLCO 41% predicted | 74 |
a
Listed in order of citation in text. Abnormalities are shown as reported in the publications. Reference equations and interpretative strategies were not uniform across studies, which may have introduced some misclassification. Nonetheless, a spectrum of findings is evident.