Figure 1

(a) Cephalocaudal distribution of computed tomography (CT) end-expiratory hyperinflated lung volume (expressed as a percentage of the total pulmonary volume) in eight patients studied during the first 6 days of acute lung injury at positive end-expiratory pressures of 15 cmH₂O (open circles) and 0 cmH₂O (closed circles). Reproduced with permisson of Lippincott Williams and Wilkins from [5]. (b) Segmental distribution of the CT cumulated amount of air cysts (filled circles) and bronchiectasis (horizontal lines), expressed as a percentage of each lung segment (numbers), in 21 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome studied 3 weeks after the onset of their respiratory disease. Reproduced with permisson of Lippincott Williams and Wilkins from [4]. The distribution of early CT hyperinflation coincides with the distribution of late air cysts and late bronchiectasis.