A 50-year-old man dies of a respiratory illness that had been characterized by dyspnea, cough, and wheezing expiration of many years' duration. Initially episodic, his "attacks" had increased in frequency and at the time of death had become continuous and intractable. At autopsy, which of the following is the most likely histologic finding in the lungs?
High-Yield Explanation
Bronchial asthma, or hyperreactive airway disease, is a type of COPD caused by narrowing of airways. Asthma manifests morphologically by Bronchial smooth muscle hyperophy Hyperplasia of bronchial submucosal glands and goblet cells.