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Review
. 2014 Dec;23(134):510-8.
doi: 10.1183/09059180.00005114.

Bronchial thermoplasty: a new therapeutic option for the treatment of severe, uncontrolled asthma in adults

Marie-Christine Dombret  1 , Khuder Alagha  1 , Louis Philippe Boulet  2 , Pierre Yves Brillet  2 , Guy Joos  2 , Michel Laviolette  2 , Renaud Louis  2 , Thierry Rochat  2 , Paola Soccal  2 , Michel Aubier  2 , Pascal Chanez  3
Affiliations
Review

Bronchial thermoplasty: a new therapeutic option for the treatment of severe, uncontrolled asthma in adults

Marie-Christine Dombret et al. Eur Respir Rev. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

Bronchial thermoplasty is a young yet promising treatment for severe asthma whose benefit for long-term asthma control outweighs the short-term risk of deterioration and hospitalisation in the days following the treatment. It is an innovative treatment whose clinical efficacy and safety are beginning to be better understood. Since this is a device-based therapy, the overall evaluation of risk-benefit is unlike that of pharmaceutical products; safety aspects, regulatory requirements, study design and effect size assessment may be unfamiliar. The mechanisms of action and optimal patient selection need to be addressed in further rigorous clinical and scientific studies. Bronchial thermoplasty fits in perfectly with the movement to expand personalised medicine in the field of chronic airway disorders. This is a device-based complimentary asthma treatment that must be supported and developed in order to meet the unmet needs of modern severe asthma management. The mechanisms of action and the type of patients that benefit from bronchial thermoplasty are the most important challenges for bronchial thermoplasty in the future.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: Disclosures can be found alongside the online version of this article at err.ersjournals.com

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Bronchial thermoplasty procedure. a) Bronchial thermoplasty is performed through fibreoptic bronchoscopy. b) A catheter is inserted in a proximal bronchus. c) The catheter is opened in situ. d) The catheter delivers controlled thermal energy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Asthma: still a promising future?
    Chanez P, Humbert M. Chanez P, et al. Eur Respir Rev. 2014 Dec;23(134):405-7. doi: 10.1183/09059180.00009614. Eur Respir Rev. 2014. PMID: 25445937 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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