Early detection of pulmonary emphysema in symptomatic and asymptomatic smokers by spiral chest ct and pulmonary functions

This work was carried out to assess the evidence of pulmonaryemphysema among smokers by hellical CT in relation to pulmonaryfunctions.For this purpose it is carried out at Chest and RadiologyDepartments, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University Hospitals duringthe period from October, 1998 to March 2001. This study included fiftyfive smokers and 10 apparently healthy non smokers control subjects.The fifty five smokers were classified according to chest symptoms into 2groups:Group I:Included twenty five asymptomatic smokers with their means ofage 33.6 ± 11.8 years old, they were 20 ma’es and 5 females, who weretaken haphazardly from the patient’s relatives and visitors.Group II:Include thirty symptomatic smokers (cough, expectorationbreathlessness, chest wheeze, chest pain and haemoptysis) with means ofage 50.6 ± 10.8, they were 26 males and 4 females who were from theattendance to the out-patient chest clinic and in-patients in the ChestIfDepartment Zegzig University Hospitals.Group III:Include 10 non-smokers apparently healthy control subjects, withmeans of age 26.9±6.1years old, they were 7 males and 3 females.