While airway obstruction, either by excessive luminal narrowing or mucus plugs, is recognised as a characteristic feature of various lung diseases, its measurement by physiological testing or lung imaging has been challenging. Currently, combined application of multiple imaging modalities allows for the quantification of obstructed airways and their link to ventilation defects. In asthma, computed tomography (CT)-derived total airway count (TAC) and hyperpolarised gas magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived ventilation defect percent (VDP) have been shown to be interrelated [1]. In parallel, realistic models of asthma patients’ airway trees have pointed to the pivotal role of the asymmetrical distribution of compliant lung units in generating ventilation heterogeneity [2, 3].

虽然气道阻塞（无论是由于管腔过度狭窄还是粘液塞）被认为是各种肺部疾病的特征，但通过生理测试或肺部成像对其进行测量一直具有挑战性。目前，多种成像模式的组合应用可以量化阻塞的气道及其与通气缺陷的联系。在哮喘中，计算机断层扫描 (CT) 衍生的总气道计数 (TAC) 和超极化气体磁共振成像 (MRI) 衍生的通气缺陷百分比 (VDP) 已被证明是相互关联的 [1]。与此同时，哮喘患者气道树的现实模型指出了顺应性肺单位的不对称分布在产生通气异质性方面的关键作用[2, 3]。