COPD

Middle age

Sometimes lung hyperinflation, bullae, increased retrosternal air space, and/or bronchial wall thickening (seen on chest x-ray); however, usually not helpful diagnostically and done mainly to exclude other disorders

Slowly progressive symptoms

History of smoking or exposure to tobacco or other types of smoke

Asthma

Early in life (often during childhood)

Usually normal or possibly hyperinflation

Symptoms vary widely from day to day

Symptoms often worse at night or early morning

History of allergies, rhinitis, or eczema

Often family history of asthma

Often obesity

Bronchiectasis

All ages, but most often in older or middle age

Bronchial dilation and bronchial wall thickening (seen on chest x-ray or chest CT)

Often large amounts of purulent sputum

Often history of chronic recurrent bacterial infection

Often history of childhood pneumonia or pertussis

Diffuse panbronchiolitis

Usually between ages 10 and 60 years (mean age of 40)

Diffuse small centrilobular nodular opacities and hyperinflation seen on chest x-ray and high-resolution CT

Mostly male nonsmokers

Almost all have chronic sinusitis

Predominately in those of Asian descent

Heart failure

All ages, but most often in older or middle age

Enlarged heart, pleural effusion, fluid in major fissure, sometimes pulmonary edema (seen on chest x-ray)

Volume restriction without airflow limitation (detected by pulmonary function tests)

Obliterative bronchiolitis

Onset at younger age

Peripheral hypodense areas (seen on CT during expiration)

Nonsmokers who may have a history of rheumatoid arthritis or acute fume exposure

History of lung or bone marrow transplantation

Tuberculosis (TB)

All ages

Lung infiltrates, typically multinodular, sometimes calcified hilar nodes (seen on chest x-ray)

Confirmed by microbiologic testing

Usually in areas with high prevalence of TB