Emphysema

Emphysema is a long-term lung condition that causes shortness of breath. Over time, the condition damages the thin walls of the air sacs in the lungs called alveoli. Emphysema is a COPD-phenotype characterized by destruction of lung parenchyma. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic cause of emphysema, whereas smoking is the most important risk factor of non-AATD emphysema. A general underappreciation of non-AATD emphysema has hampered progress in the field, and clinical guidelines have prohibited the use of emphysema as a diagnosis.