Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a condition where the bronchial tubes of your lungs are permanently damaged, widened, and thickened. These damaged air passages allow bacteria and mucus to build up and pool in your lungs. This results in frequent infections and blockages of the airways. It is is a long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened, leading to a build-up of excess mucus that can make the lungs more vulnerable to infection

It occurs when the walls of the airways (bronchi) thicken as a result of chronic inflammation and/or infection and results in mucus accumulating. In bronchiectasis, the walls of the bronchi are thickened from long-term inflammation and scarring. As a result of the damage, mucus produced by the cells lining the bronchi does not drain normally. Mucus build-up can cause infection. A cycle of inflammation and infection can develop, leading to loss of lung function over time.

Symptoms of Bronchiectasis

• Coughing up yellow or green mucus every day
• Shortness of breath that gets worse during exacerbations
• Feeling run-down or tired, especially during exacerbations
• Fevers and/or chills, usually developing during exacerbations
• Wheezing or a whistling sound while you breathe
• Coughing up blood or mucus mixed with blood, a condition called hemoptysis

Causes

• an abnormally functioning immune system
• inflammatory bowel disease
• autoimmune diseases
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (an inheritable cause of COPD)
• HIV
• allergic aspergillosis (an allergic lung reaction to fungus)
• lung infections such as whooping cough and tuberculosis

Risk Factors for Bronchiectasis

• Absent or dysfunctional CFTR protein in bronchial cells in cystic fibrosis (CF)
• Chronic or severe lung infections (such as tuberculosis, or TB) that damage the airways
• Having a whole-body (systemic) disease associated with bronchiectasis

How Is Bronchiectasis Diagnosed?

It may use various tests to diagnose bronchiectasis and help determine the cause. These tests can include:

• Chest CT (or CAT) scan or X-ray to look at lung structure
• Blood tests to check for conditions associated with bronchiectasis
• Collection of mucus (sputum) to check for growth of bacteria or other microbes