ABSTRACT
Bronchiectasis is a relatively common disease in developing countries. The pathogens responsible for its acute exacerbations vary from one area to another. To study the characteristics of patients with bronchiectasis in Northern Iraq, and to identify the types of pathogens responsible for the acute exacerbations. Case series study. Respiratory Care Unit and general medical wards in Ibn-Sina Teaching Hospital in Mosul, during the years 2002-2004. Fifty patients with bronchiectasis [16 males and 34 females] presenting during an acute exacerbation underwent clinical and radiological evaluation with sputum Gram [Gm] stain and culture. The cause of the disease was readily identifiable in 36 percent of patients. Tuberculosis was the predominant aetiology. Streptococcus pneumoniae and klebsiella pneumoniae were the commonest pathogens. Gm negative bacilli were responsible for 36 percent of cases overall, and were especially important in those with long standing disease [