Respiratory outcomes of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in children, adolescents and adults

Prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which is a complication of the neonatal respiratory distress-syndrome and respiratory thera-py in neonates, are currently considered as possible risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. Persisting reduction in the lung size in prematurely born children and pathological lesion typical for BPD can lead to ventilation disorders and clinical signs of chronic respiratory failure and / or bronchial obstruction in the children, adolescents and adults. Clinical, functional and morphological consequences of prematurity and BPD in preschool and school-aged children, adolescents and adults are discussed in this review considering the authors' experience and the published data. The lung function abnormalities persist for lifetime. The lung tissue structural lesions, such as emphysema, fibrosis, the bronchial wall thickening, could be found on computed tomography. Therefore, patients with the history of BPD should be treated as risk group for early development of COPD.