Pulmonary localization lung function studies before and after treatment

Abstract

Twenty patients with diffuse pulmonâry lesions caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis underwent basic pulmonary function tests loefore and. after the beginning of specific therapy. One or 2 months after the beginning of therapy, the Vital Capacity of Forced Vital Capacity had increased by more than 10% in 7 of 19 patients (36.BVo), and the difference for the whole group was significant (p < 0.05). After 4 to 10 months, 5 of 6 patients had an increase of more than 10% . The progress of the Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second, or its ratio to the Vital Capacity, and of the arterial oxygen tension ,was variable. These findings show that the pulmonary function tests are not an adequate resource for the control of therapy in these cases. They also suggest that the pulmonary infiltrations secondaly to P. brasiliensis do not play a consistent role in obstruction, which is often the main functional defect in PM, and seems to be caused by underlying COPD.