Bronchiolitis obliterans (Image sourced from Bristol Biomed Image Archive with permission) - Severe irreversible injury of the bronchioles, can be a sequelae to chronic bronchiolitis or bronchitis
- Bronchioles are ill equipped to remove airway inflammatory exudate and debris (see 'functional anatomy')
- The fibrin-rich exudate is infiltrated by fibroblasts -> fibroblasts synthesise collagen in the exudate -> results in polyp formation inside the lumen -> permanent obstruction of the bronchiolar lumen.
- Can occur within 7-10 days of the inception of the bronchial inflammation
- Hypertrophy of mural smooth muscle of medium to small-sized pulmonary arteries
- Results in pulmonary hypertension - cor pulmonale - potential cause for right-sided heart failure
