Opinion
Video
Overview of Bronchiectasis
Mark Metersky, MD, FCCP, illustrates the pathology of bronchiectasis.
This is a video synopsis/summary of an Insights involving Mark Metersky, MD, FCCP, on bronchiectasis.
Bronchiectasis is an increasingly recognized pulmonary condition affecting approximately 400,000 people in the United States. The increased recognition is partly due to an aging population, as bronchiectasis commonly affects older patients, as well as increased diagnosis via chest CT scans. Clinically, bronchiectasis is characterized by chronic cough, usually with chronic daily sputum production, and often exacerbations causing worsened symptoms requiring antibiotics. It is diagnosed by CT scan identifying dilated, enlarged airways (bronchi). Some patients have bronchiectasis incidentally found on CT without significant symptoms, but most have chronic cough.
Exacerbations represent an acute worsening of symptoms like increased cough and sputum production or changes in sputum character, fever, chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, and sometimes hemoptysis. Exacerbations can be from bacterial or viral causes, though the cause is often unidentified. Most exacerbations are treated with antibiotics.
Bronchiectasis demonstrates heterogeneous causes and manifestations without one typical presentation, though it predominantly affects older females. Symptoms vary widely, from minimal to significant impairment of quality of life with daily cough and copious sputum production, malaise, weakness, and shortness of breath in severe cases. Most patients do not have severe, debilitating disease leading to respiratory failure or death.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by AJMCÒ editorial staff.
