CAUSES

Bronchiectasis is often caused by recurrent infection or inflammation of the airways. It can be congenital, (when a person is born with a predisposition to the disorder) and sometimes it occurs as part of a birth defect such as cystic fibrosis or primary ciliary dyskinesia. It is a disease which can develop at any age but most often begins in childhood. Other causes of bronchiectasis include:

Recurrent, severe lung infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis and fungal infections
Airway obstructions by a foreign body or tumor.
Abnormal lung defenses
Complications from certain infections such as adenovirus, measles, pneumonia, whooping cough, tuberculosis
Exposure to chemical irritants (such as ammonia inhalation) may lead to airway inflammation and bronchiectasis
Chronic obstruction of a bronchus by a tumour or foreign body.
Inhaling a foreign object
Immunological defiency disorders (HIV, hypogammaglobulinemia)
Lung fibrosis (such as connective tissue diseases and pulmonary fibrosis) can increase tension on the bronchi, which results in dilated airways and traction bronchiectasis.

The majority of the above disorders result in the dilation of the bronchi and bronchioles. The mucous trapped in these airways becomes stagnant and subsequently becomes infected, leading to further dilation and more damage.

Diagnosis

When diagnosing for bronchiectasis doctors put a stethoscope against the patient’s chest and listen for wheezing, soft clicking, rattling, bubbling or other unusual sounds arising from the lower lobes of the lungs. Bronchiectasis is commonly misdiagnosed as asthma or pneumonia. A number of methods are used to further evaluate if a patient suffers from bronchiectasis. These include:

Chest x-ray
Breathing tests
Sputum culture
Computed Tomography (CT) scan
Sweat tests
Serum immunoglobulin analysis
Serum precipitins
Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) skin tests for a prior TB infection
Testing for other associated diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or tuberculosis.