Clinical characteristics and cause of bronchiectasis in children: review in a center

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The study for bronchiectasis in children is rare in Korea. The aim of this study was investigate the clinical characteristic and associated etiology in pediatric patients with bronchiectasis. METHODS: We studied 29 pediatirc patients with bronchiectasis from January 2008 to December 2012 at Pusan National University Hospital. The age, sex, clinical symptoms, signs, radiologic findings, associated etiologic factors, and clinical course were investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: The median age at the time of diagnosis of bronchiectasis was 8.7 years. Chronic coughing was the most common symptom. The associated etiologies were immunodeficiency (31.0%), respiratory infection (27.6%), bronchiolitis obliterans (13.8%), interstitial lung disease (10.3%). The median age at the time of diagnosis of bronchiectasis in immunodeficient patients was 8.3 years. Post infectious bronchiectasis and severe respiratory symptom tend to occur in younger children. CONCLUSION: The risk factors of bronchiectasis in children are immunodeficiency and respiratory infection. Physicians should evaluate bronchiectasis in children with chronic cough.