Therapeutic Research

Abstract

The lesions of 20 autopsied cases of diffuse panbronchiolitis（DPB）were seriallysectioned and reconstruction was made focusing on the region from the terminal to the respiratory bronchioles. Morphological changes in the regions of the respiratory bronchioles were classified into three types by the presence and the size of the intraluminal granulation tissue. The walls of the respiratory bronchioles were thickened with cell infiltration and granulation tissue in all foci（28 in total）, and 26 foci showed intraluminal granulation tissue whereas only 2 foci did not exhibit intraluminal plugs. Xanthoma cells were mostly observed in the interstitial tissue of the alveolar ducts, sacs, and septal walls distal to the stenotic sites as well as in the alveolar spaces in the marked cases.