Morphologic effects of cigarette smoking on airways and pulmonary parenchyma in healthy adult volunteers: CT evaluation and correlation with pulmonary function tests.

A prospective computed tomographic (CT) study was performed to determine the prevalence of lung changes in smokers. The study group comprised 175 healthy adult volunteers (current smokers, n = 98; ex-smokers, n = 26; nonsmokers, n = 51). The subjects underwent clinical examination, pulmonary function tests, chest radiography, and conventional and high-resolution CT (HRCT). Significant differences between current smokers, ex-smokers, and...