INTERNAL SURFACE AREA OF NONEMPHYSEMATOUS

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Abstract
The internal surface area of the lungs (ISA) was calculated in 25 nonemphysematous subjects by use of the mean linear intercept principle. The results (ISA) are expressed at an in-trabronchial inflation pressure of 25 cm of formalin and also corrected to predicted total lung capacity during life (ISAC) and to an arbitrary standard volume of 5 1 (ISA5). Internal surface area of the lungs and the predicted total lung capacity show wide variations and are best related to body length in hospital deaths. A relatively small variation is shown in ISA5, which is related to age. These prediction figures are adequate for comparison with emphysematous subjects, but a large number of subjects dying a sudden or accidental death should be studied to gain precise figures for physiologic purposes. The mean linear intercept (Lm) is not related to body length, but is related to age. This relationship is more striking in lungs inflated to a standard pressure, and this suggests that the lungs inflated postmortem were larger than in life in older subjects. The diminishing total lung capacity with age appears to be due to alterations in the elastic properties of the lung, and the internal surface area is likely to diminish in the aging lung.

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