Aging of the lungs in asymptomatic lifelong nonsmokers: findings on HRCT.

Purpose: To report lung parenchymal findings on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in a population of asymptomatic, never-smoker urban dwellers aged 65 years and older.

Materials And Methods: After institutional approval, asymptomatic older patients from the Geriatrics Outpatient Clinic aged 65 years and older (older group) and healthy volunteers aged 30-50 years (younger group) were invited to participate in the study. Asymptomatic, never-smoker subjects considered free of relevant disease after spirometry and echocardiography underwent chest HRCT.